Stetsons and Fal'Cie
by Raziel12
Summary: A Western themed AU. Can Sheriff Claire "Lightning" Farron and the others possibly make it through all the trouble that lies ahead?
1. Chapter 1

**Strangers and Soda Pop**

The stranger waltzed into the saloon like he owned into, a swagger in his step and no small amount of money in his pockets. A small smirk crossed his lips as he took in the crowd around the bar. Not a one of them looked like they were worth a damn and he felt his right hand twitch. Nobody would care if something happened to one or two of them and it had been a long time since he'd picked a gunfight indoors.

He walked to the bar and slouched into one of the free stools.

"What'll it be, stranger?" the bartender asked, a wary look in his eyes.

The stranger shrugged, loose and easy, the movement just large enough to show the barman the two pistols he wore at his side. "Make it a whiskey." As the bartender turned to get the drink, the stranger looked the other people at the bar over and smiled coldly as he settled on a target. "What are you looking at her?" he sneered at the man closest to him.

The other man, slim and just shy of medium height, reacted exactly like the stranger wanted. He turned a funny sort of pale and tried to shrink away.

"Well, I'm talking to you. What are you looking at?"

"Nothing," the other man said. "I wasn't looking at anything."

The stranger snorted in disdain and leaned forward. "Nothing? It didn't look like that to me. It looked a lot like you were staring at me." The corner of his lips twitched. "I don't like it when people stare."

The slim man shrank further into his seat. "Listen, I don't want any trouble. I wasn't looking at you."

The stranger grinned. That was what he'd been waiting for. "Are you calling me a liar?"

The other man paled even more as he realised the trap he'd walked right into. "Listen, mister…"

"No," the stranger said as he stood and patted one of his pistols. "I think you called me a liar. Now are you going to grovel or are you going to back those words of yours up."

The other man was clearly shaking now, but all the same he pushed away from the bar. Out here, all a man really had was his dignity and if it took a gun to back it up so be it, even if it was plain that the stranger knew how to handle a gun better than him.

The stranger smirked and reached down for his pistol but stopped short as a voice cut in.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Both of them froze and the stranger turned to look for the owner of the voice. It was a woman's voice and for all that the words were quietly spoken there was steel in them, real steel, the kind they couldn't teach through school or books. It was the kind of steel that only life could teach, and a hard life at that. Finally, he found her. She was sitting at one of the tables away from the bar, her features hidden under a wide-brimmed Stetson hat, a bottle of what looked to soda pop in front of her.

"I don't recall this being your business, lady," the stranger said. "Besides, I don't think someone drinking soda pop should be butting into business between men."

She looked up and then took her hat off and set it on the table, and the stranger had to force his features to stay calm. She was a pretty thing, alright, with lush pink hair and sharp blue eyes. As those eyes met his he almost flinched away. Just like with her voice, there was steel behind those eyes, hardness that spoke of suffering measured not in moments but in years. Smiling now, he turned to face her more squarely and moved to stand opposite her, perhaps ten yards away, the other man forgotten. He'd come looking for a fight and somehow he had a feeling he'd found it.

"And what are you going to do, lady, if I decide that I want to make trouble?"

Her expression never wavered. "I'll stop you, that's what." And as calmly as could be, she reached into the pockets of the jacket that hung off the back of her chair and pulled out a gold plated star.

He chuckled. "A lady sheriff? What kind of town is this?" He shook his head slowly and shot her a cocky smile. "Let's see how fast you are then." And just like that he reached down to pull a pistol free and –

BANG!

He stared stupidly at his hand, now suddenly empty. A few feet away, his gun arced lazily through the air before it clattered noisily onto the floor of the saloon. Eyes wide with disbelief, instinct drove him to go for his other pistol and once more a shot rang out. Again, his hand trembled, relieved of its weapon and he could only gape and wonder exactly what would happen next.

"Careful there, stranger," the lady sheriff murmured. "My next shot won't be so merciful." Anyone else would have been grinning, but on her fine features there was nothing, no trace of emotion save for the very faintest upturning of her lips. "Well, what are you waiting for? Get out of here. Unless that is, you have anything else to say about soda pop?"

He didn't need any further urging. Leaving his guns on the floor and his whiskey at the bar, he fled. It was only later, much later, as he turned in for the night several miles out of town that he remembered. There were tales of a town out west with a lady sheriff but he'd considered the rumours so utterly ridiculous that he'd never given them much credit and until tonight they'd all but slipped his mind.

The rumours spoke of a lady sheriff with the quickest draw in the world, so fast and accurate she could shoot the buttons off your shirt and all you'd feel would be the breeze. They said she too, that she had hair the colour of the dawn and eyes like the wide open sky. Despite the humiliation that burned in him, he'd have a hell of a story to tell. After all, how many men could say they'd survived a gunfight with Sheriff Clair "Lighting" Farron.

**X X X**

**Author's Notes**

First of all, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making a dime off of this.

Well, what can I say? I don't normally write about Final Fantasy, but somewhere along the line I got the image of Lightning as a sheriff in a Western themed AU got stuck in my head. I had an hour free so I thought I'd get something jotted down. For those wondering about the other characters, I already have a pretty decent idea of what the others will be. If you're wondering about the soda pop, it's a reference to probably my favourite Western novel.

As always, I look forward to your feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	2. Chapter 2

**Something Old**

The old gun had seen better days. It was missing its hammer and the barrel was far from straight. Really, it would take something close to a miracle _and_ an expert gunsmith for the thing to ever fire again, which was probably why Hope's father hadn't protested too much when the fourteen year old had asked to keep it.

"He still thinks I'm a kid," Hope muttered as he gingerly took the gun up in one hand. It was heavier than he'd thought, and the grip was a little rougher than he liked, but for now it would have to do. Despite all of his efforts, his father still refused to teach him how to use a gun even though all the other boys knew how. Supposedly it was for his own good, but Hope knew better. His father was too busy trying to become mayor of the town to bother spending any time with him.

One of these days, Hope swore, he was going to leave town and find some place of his own. He'd ride out and have adventures, do all sort of things. When he got older he wouldn't have to just sit there listening to all the stories the travellers told as they passed through town. No, he'd be the one passing through different towns, telling everyone about all the amazing things he'd seen and done.

He could just see it now, he thought, tightening his grip on the gun. He'd become a marshal and hunt down criminals. They'd write stories about him and everything. Caught up in the thought of it all, he jerked the gun to the left and squeezed the trigger. It felt good and the solid click as the chambers turned was music to his ears.

BANG – Another bandit dead!

BANG – How about a famous gunfighter beaten to the draw?

BANG – A rogue sheriff brought to justice! 

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

And then he stopped, suddenly, keenly, aware that he was no longer alone. Almost afraid of whom he would see he turned. And then he stared. It wasn't one of the local kids come to laugh at the boy whose father still wouldn't teach him how to use a gun. No, it was a woman, one he'd never seen before.

For a moment, a long moment, her eyes were the only things in the world. They were the bluest blue he'd ever seen, so intense it felt almost like he was looking into a pair of cerulean suns. It felt like she could see right into him, right into the very guts of who he was and what he would be, and for a split-second he was absurdly afraid that this stranger, this woman he didn't even know, would see something she didn't like in him, or maybe find him wanting somehow. But then she seemed to nod, almost to herself, and then she was moving toward him.

Her steps were swift and sure and each movement was executed with a sort of carefully controlled grace. It was like there was something inside her, some power, some fire like that fire he'd seen in her eyes, and if she didn't keep it under tight control it might come spilling out and burn everything around her down to ashes. It felt like at any moment she might explode into sudden deadly motion, so fast you wouldn't even see the attack coming until it killed you, yet when she spoke her voice was gentle, and so were her hands when she took the gun from him.

"You're doing it wrong."

He didn't know what to say.

"Here, I'll show you." She took a moment to get a feel for the gun's weight and he was struck by just how _right_ the weapon looked in her hands. "You want to make the motion of aiming and firing as natural as you can." She paused and her gaze shifted to their surroundings. They were alone. "Watch."

One moment she was still and then the next she was moving. Her right arm swept out to the side and suddenly the gun was pointing straight at the top of a fence paling maybe thirty feet away. She squeezed the trigger and the chambers turned. Click. But even before the sound had faded, she was moving again, all but flowing from one movement to the next as she lined up shot after imaginary shot.

It was magic, Hope thought, absolute magic to watch every muscle in her body work in concert to deliver an almost frightening blend of speed, efficiency, and power.

And then she stopped and the energy that had made her seem almost like a force of nature seemed to sputter out. Slowly, she loosened her grip on the gun and handed it back to him. It was strange, he thought, but for a few moments, while she'd been holding it, the gun hadn't seemed old or broken to him. It had seemed alive.

"Listen," she said softly, and he did, because he had the sense, he wasn't sure how or why, that what she about to say was something very important, something that he'd remember for the rest of his life. "I saw the way you were looking at the gun before, like it was something that could make you great." Hope looked away guiltily. "A gun doesn't make a person great, it's the person who makes the gun great." Her eyes softened. "That's why your father hasn't taught you how to use a gun yet. He wants to make sure you grow up right and proper so that when the day comes that you have to use a gun, you'll use it for the right reasons."

For a moment he was silent, mulling over her words and then it hit him. "Wait!" he said. "You know who I am? I mean you know my father?"

She was about to reply when his father's voice rang out.

"Farron, is that you there? You're a day early." His father chuckled. "And I see you've met Hope."

Farron? Hope's eyes widened. "You're Sheriff Lightning Farron?"

The woman shrugged. "Yes."

"But… but you're famous and everything… they say you're the best gunfighter in the whole west and…" Hope stopped, feeling absolutely terrible at being caught playing with a broken old gun by someone like her. He stared at the ground, ashamed and waited for her to leave to go talk with his father.

Only she didn't leave, at least, not immediately. Instead she whispered, almost too softly for him to hear, "You know, the first time I ever used a gun, I was older than you are now." He looked up and saw that she was smiling, just a little, and kind of sadly too. "Remember what I said earlier." She paused and then added, "You're a boy yet, Hope Estheim, but I think you've the makings of a good man. Don't grow up too fast."

And then she was stepping away from him and talking to his father. He stayed there a long time after both of them were gone, the old gun in his hands.

**X X X**

**Author's Notes**

First of all, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off of this.

This chapter is loosely based on a passage from my favourite Western novel. I don't really know what else to say, other than when I was tossing around ideas in my head about Lightning in a Western setting, I couldn't help but thinking of Hope as some kid bound to a boring town but desperately wanting something more.

As always, I appreciate your feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Bahamut Bandit**

"So, Fang, how do I look?"

Fang glanced over at Vanille and grinned. The younger woman had a handkerchief tied over her face to hide everything below her eyes and a big, wide-brimmed hat on to hide her hair. "You look just fine, Vanille." She chuckled. "Not too scary, but I guess that's my job." She reached up to put her own handkerchief and hat into place. "How about me?"

Vanille giggled. "I think you look very dashing."

Fang rolled her eyes. "Dashing, right. Not exactly what I was hoping for, but I guess it'll do. Come on, let's go rob ourselves a bank."

The two of them ducked out from around the corner and with a last glance at the street to make sure that there wasn't anyone else around, they stepped into the bank. There were five people inside and Fang grinned behind her handkerchief as one of them, a young man who couldn't have been more than maybe seventeen stepped forward to greet them.

"Afternoon there, can we be some assistance?"

Fang chuckled and reached out to give the young man a pat on the shoulder. He smiled awkwardly. "Actually you can help me and my friend here." She tightened her grip on his shoulder until he winced. Then she pulled out her pistol and cheerfully poked him in the chest with it. "How about you get down on the ground with your hands on your head." She glanced past him at the other people in the bank. "And the rest of you too, if you don't mind."

The young man looked at her with wide eyes. "What do you think you're doing?"

Fang rolled her eyes. Honestly, what was it with all the young people these days? With deliberate slowness she brought her gun up until it was level with his face. "I'd have thought it would be obvious, but if you really want me to explain..." She tapped him lightly on the forehead with the gun. "This is a hold up."

"Oh." He blanched.

"Yes. Oh." Fang smirked. "Now down on the ground please, and don't scream or anything. I'd hate to have to remodel your forehead."

He dropped to the ground almost too fast for her to see, all but one of the others following suit. The one who remained standing was a fairly burly looking fellow with grey hair and he met Fang's glare with one of his own. At his side, his right hand twitched. Fang smiled beneath her handkerchief. Clearly, he was the hired muscle.

"I'd think twice about going for that gun of yours if I were you." There was no shortage of mocking in Fang's tone. "You're looking a little long in the tooth there, old man, and as twitchy as that gun hand of yours is there's no way you'll even clear your holster before I put a pair of holes in you."

The guard scowled back ferociously. "You don't look too fast."

"That so?" Fang grinned from ear to ear. Her gun fired once. The guard yelped and looked down at the smoking hole in the wall just behind him. There was a hole there about an inch below his crotch. Fang cackled. "Seems to me I'm fast enough. Now do yourself a favour there, old man, and unbuckle that gun belt of yours. Slide it across the floor before you hurt yourself."

The guard reached down to undo his gun belt and then stopped. His face was a little red. "My gun belt's what's holding up my pants."

"I see." Fang tapped one finger on her chin and then shook her head. "Too bad. You can either lose that gun belt of yours and end up with your pants around your ankles, or you can end up with a hole in those pants in a most uncomfortable place, if you catch my drift. It's your call, so get going."

The guard's gun belt – and his pants – hits the floor.

"Good choice." Fang looked at the other people who were down on the ground. "Now there are two ways this whole thing can go." Her emerald eyes twinkled with mirth. "The first way is pretty simple. You folks all do exactly what I tell you, when I tell you and after my partner here and I have what we want then we can all go our separate ways." She glanced over at Vanille.

"And the other way?" It was the young man who'd greeted them earlier who spoke.

"Vanille, why don't you answer that," Fang said.

Vanille giggled and nodded. Then, as cheerfully as could be, she explained. "You folks could make things tough for us, you know, screaming and fighting and carrying on something fierce. Then we'd have no choice but to torture the lot of you all horribly and bloodily with all kinds of unpleasantness." She shrugged and scratched the back of her head with one hand in a gesture that would have been all kinds of cute if it weren't for what she was saying. "But then we'd still get what we want anyone only after we parted ways you probably wouldn't be in such good shape." She laughed merrily. "Or even in one piece." She looked back at Fang. "That about right, Fang?"

Fang smiled and went over to pat Vanille on the head. "Just about." She looked back at the lot on the floor. "Now which one of you is the bank manager? And remember what my friend here said about the torture…"

One of the men raised his hand.

Fang nodded. "Good man. Now, sir, you are going to go off with Vanille here and open up that vault of yours. You do as she says and you'll have nothing to worry about. You give her trouble and she has my leave – no scratch that – my blessing to go make you wish you were dead. Understand?"

The bank manager nodded but continued to cower on the floor.

"You can get up now, mister manager, unless you have some way of opening that vault that don't involve you laying hands on it."

As Vanille and the bank manager disappeared into the back of the bank to open the vault, Fang sauntered over to the nearest chair and sat so that she could watch everyone else at once.

"So," Fang began. "Would I be correct in thinking that all of you fine folks work for a company called Cocoon and that this bank belongs to Cocoon too?" They nodded warily. "Good, it's nice to see that I picked the right bank."

The young man who'd greeted them looked up and there was an odd look on his face that seemed half fear and half awe. "You wouldn't happen to the one they called the Bahamut Bandit would you?"

Inwardly, Fang preened. The Bahamut Bandit was a name the newspapers had given her about a year back. It wasn't exactly great, but it wasn't half bad. Hell, it was a lot better than "Vanille the Kid". "What makes you say that?"

The young man gave her an almost scandalised look. "You said your friend's name was Vanille, right? Everyone knows that the Bahamut Bandit and Vanille the Kid are partners. Besides, the Bahamut Bandit only ever robs Cocoon banks."

Fang chuckled. "Well, you've got me figured, sonny." She took her hat off and gave him a mocking bow. "The Bahamut Bandit at your service." She looked up to find him staring at her intently. "What now?"

"Oh…" he shot her an almost apologetic look. "It's just… I thought you'd be taller."

Fang scowled. She'd been called all sorts of things in her life, a great many of them less than complementary. No one, however, had ever called her short before. "Really?"

The young man sat up, apparently warming to the subject. "Oh, yes. I mean, the papers write about you all the time. They say you're ten feet tall and more man than woman with big, crazy red eyes." His voice rose in both volume and excitement. "They also say that you're the worst kind of person, a killer with no sense of mercy who forces herself on women."

Fang had to force herself not fill the poor young man with bullets. What on earth were the papers writing about her? It was one thing to call her a bandit – she kind of, sort of, maybe was one – but for the record she'd never, ever forced herself on a woman. Hell, most of the time she had to beat them off, or rather let Vanille beat them off. The younger woman was absolutely deadly with a plank of wood and most of the women never saw it coming. "Hmmm… is that what they say?" she said at last as she shot the young man a glare with enough bite to it to drop an adamantoise from forty paces. "I don't suppose you agree with all that stuff they write do you?"

The young man turned satisfyingly pale as he realised the situation he'd managed to get himself into. If Fang really did do all those things he'd just said then he was in a whole lot of trouble. "I was thinking," he began slowly as he frantically wracked his mind for something to say, "That maybe you're… um… a little… uh… misunderstood."

Misunderstood? Fang had to give the young man credit for the attempt. "You can think pretty quickly, it seems." Fang was about to say more when Vanille came back in with the bank manager. There were several bags of cash in his arms.

"I've got the stuff, Fang," Vanille said before she stopped and looked at the young man. He looked very much like he was about to pass out. "Um, Fang, what's wrong with him?"

Fang shrugged. "He's just feeling a little queasy." She tilted her head at Vanille. "Go on ahead with the cash, Vanille, I'll finish up in here."

Vanille nodded and gave everyone a jaunty wave before she disappeared out of the bank with the cash.

"Now then," Fang said, a playful lilt to her voice. "I'm in something of a bind here. I can't have any of you lot letting the authorities in on what's gone on here until my friend and I have gotten a fair ways from here." She looked up at the ceiling and waved her gun in a slow circle. "Of course, I could just kill all of you right now." Five heads shook frantically. "But that just seems a little rough, especially seeing as I'm just a little… what was the word?" She grinned at the young man. "That's right… misunderstood." She chuckled. "So here's what we'll do…"

X X X

Marshal Jihl Nabaat took one look at the group of men hogtied on the floor of the bank and had to fight the urge to either shoot someone or scream. Her mood wasn't helped in the least when she saw the message scrawled in large, somehow taunting writing on the wall of the bank:

"Thanks for the cash. We'll be sure to put it to good use. And if you're reading this Marshal Nabaat, try not to frown. You're plenty wrinkly as it is.

With lots of love,

The Bahamut Bandit and Vanille the Kid"

X X X

**Author's Notes**

First of all, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off of this.

So here are Fang and Vanille's introductions to the story. As for why they're robbing banks and taunting marshals, I'll get to that later. I had originally considered making Fang Lightning's deputy, but I thought it would be much more fun to have her on the opposite side of the law. And don't worry, Jihl won't be the only one after the Oerban duo. Sooner or later they're going to stumble across a certain pink haired sheriff and when they do, well… that's a story for another day.

As always, I appreciate your feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	4. Chapter 4

**Sisters and Stockmen**

Serah Farron stepped off the train and looked down at her valise. It was a little heavier than she'd thought when she was packing it and she was starting to regret convincing her sister that it would be better if she just met her at the train station in Midar Town rather than going all the way to Eden City to pick her up. It didn't help much either that the dusty, crowded streets were so different from the paved, orderly thoroughfares of Eden City, or that she could already see some of the local riff raff looking in her direction.

She was just about to ask a passerby if there was some place nearby that she could wait with her valise until her sister came, when a large shadow fell over her. Startled, she took a hurried step back and tripped. Closing her eyes, she braced herself for the pain of hitting the ground. Only it never came. Instead, when she opened her eyes, she found herself looking into a pair of kind blue eyes.

"Best watch your step there, miss."

She nodded dumbly and looked up, way, way up, because the man who'd caught her was really quite tall, and broad at the shoulders too. He was a few years older than her and for all that he was big, there was a kind look about him, and his voice, from what she'd heard, was gentle too. There was a rumpled, weather-beaten hat on his head that covered blonde hair and she was startled to realise that he was also pretty handsome, in a rugged sort of way.

"You okay there, miss? You're staring at me."

She blushed and practically threw herself backward and would have fallen had he not caught her again and set her easily – very easily, actually, because goodness he was strong – on her feet. "Um… thank you, sir."

He gave her a wry sort of smile and his eyes twinkled as he replied, "Well, I'll accept your thanks, miss, but I'm no sir. Mister will do just fine."

"Then thank you, mister." Her sister had always told her not to talk to strangers, but that was only because she didn't want her to run into any trouble. But there was something about the big man in front of her, maybe the way he spoke and carried himself, that made her certain that he wasn't trouble, at least not to her.

He glanced down at her valise. "Looks like you're having a little trouble with that bag of yours." He smiled again and Serah felt her heart flutter. He had such a wonderful smile. "Seems a little big for someone your size."

She blushed and looked away. "I suppose it's a little heavy, but I've managed so far."

He shrugged his broad shoulders. "Didn't say otherwise, but maybe I could give you a hand? A lady like you shouldn't have to lug a heavy bag like that around herself."

As he reached for the valise, she tugged it away from him. "I couldn't possibly trouble you. Besides, I'm just waiting for my sister and I'm sure she'll be here any moment."

He nodded good-naturedly. "Well, I suppose I could wait with you then, if you don't mind." He glanced over at a bench beneath the shade a few yards off. "Though it might be better if we waited over there."

"I suppose," she said a tad unsurely.

"Then it's settled." And before she could protest, he'd taken her valise and carried it over to the bench. She hurried after him and settled down on one side with him a polite distance away on the other.

Silence settled over them and Serah looked at the ground. What was it about him that made her so nervous? And it wasn't a bad nervous either, it was something different, something that made her heart race and thrill in the most exciting way.

"So, you got a name?" he asked.

"Oh!" She snapped out of her thoughts and looked over only to blush as she noticed that his face wasn't even a foot away. Somehow, he'd managed to get a little closer without her noticing. "Serah Farron."

He smiled. "They call me Snow Villiers." He offered his hand. "Farron? Name seems kind of familiar."

She reached for his hand to shake it, but he grinned and brought her hand up to his lips. She blushed again, right down to the tips of her toes, she was sure, and all but yanked her hand away. Doing her best to put a disapproving look on her face, she glared at him. It must not have been a very good glare – her sister had always been better than her in that department – because he simply grinned and tipped his hat a fraction at her.

"So, Serah, what brings you out this way?"

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, Mr Villiers," she stressed the formality of the title, "I'm a school teacher."

"That so?" He smiled again and she felt her heart do something crazy in her chest. "Mind telling me where you're teaching Ms Farron?"

"I'm going to teach in Bodhum," she replied as she found herself smiling back without really knowing why. "I did some studying back east in Eden City and I'm going to go teach in Bodhum."

"That your home town?" Snow asked.

She nodded. "I grew up there, but I've been in Eden City the last couple of years."

"It's pretty tough out in Bodhum," he said lightly. "Though I hear things have gotten better as of late. Word is, they've got quite a sheriff now."

Serah grinned. Bodhum did indeed have quite a sheriff. "I heard that too, but the town's growing and there's a lot of young ones out there now, but there's no teacher. An education is an important thing to have, and I'll see it that they get a good one." She looked at Snow. "And you, Mr Villiers, what do you do for a living?"

Snow reached up to scratch the back of his head. "I've done a lot of things in life, but I guess that if you had to pin me down, I'd call myself a stockman." He smiled self-deprecatingly. "I've worked out of most of the ranches out here, herding cattle, riding the trail, that sort of thing. I've got some friends who I ride with most of the time, but we've just finished a job and Midgar Town's a good place to go to find another."

"It sounds exciting." Serah took off her hat to fan herself. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Snow watching her intently and felt a pleasant rush of warmth run through her. "I've never been on the road that much." She sighed. "My older sister can be real over protective."

Snow chuckled softly. "Older sibling are supposed to be like that aren't they? I don't have any siblings myself, but my friends are about as good as family and I'm plenty protective of them." He smirked at her. "Besides, you're such a little thing. I don't know how you'd do in a scrap."

Serah frowned. Little she was, but she was still a Farron. She glared up at him. "I'll have you know, Mr Villiers, that I can be plenty dangerous in a scrap if I want to be." As if to demonstrate her point, she held up one small fist.

His shoulders shook with laughter as he wrapped one hand gently around her fist. She flushed. His hand felt good on hers. "I didn't mean offence there, Ms Farron. Out here, I guess you're right that it's not too sharp to judge on looks alone, but you have to admit that you don't look too fierce."

"I guess not." Serah pulled her hand back. "But I'm guessing by your looks that you are quite good in a scrap, Mr Villiers."

Snow grinned. "If there's a scrap, Ms Farron, you'll be sure to find me on the winning side."

The two of them spent the next quarter of an hour in easy conversation. For all that Snow was a stockman, he had some pretty big dreams. He'd worked long enough for other men, he said, and was keen to work for himself. If everything went right, he'd have enough for a place of his own in a couple of months. He planned to set up a farm and settle down and raise a family. Serah mentioned that there was some prime farming land not too far from Bodhum if Snow was inclined to settle that way.

"Settle down near Bodhum?" Snow said. "That doesn't sound too bad, if you'll be there too, Ms Farron."

"Ms Farron?" A familiar voice said. "Why don't you introduce me to your friend, Serah."

Serah looked up and gave a happy cry and leapt up to throw her arms around her older sister. "Claire!"

Lightning hugged her sister and then pulled away to study Snow. "Sorry, I was late, Serah. There was some trouble on the way." Her eyes narrowed. "Seems the Bahamut Bandit and Vanille the Kid robbed another bank. The marshals had road blocks set up, but they're fooling themselves if they think they can catch them like that."

"It's okay, Lightning" Serah smiled at her older sister. "Mr Villiers has been keeping me company." Serah winced as Lightning turned a harsh glare on Snow. Despite the considerable size advantage, the blonde haired man noticeably squirmed beneath Lightning's scrutiny.

"Well, Serah, say goodbye to Mr Villiers." Lightning shot Snow another glare. She'd seen his sort before and he looked like just the kind of man who'd tried and take advantage of her kind hearted and innocent little sister.

Serah smiled at Snow, something that Lightning couldn't help but wince at. "Good afternoon, Mr Villiers. Thank you for your company."

Snow shrugged. "I should be the one thanking your for your company, Ms Farron." He grinned. "Take care now."

Lightning looked from Serah to Snow. "The carriage is just over there," she said, pointing behind her. "You go on ahead, Serah, I'll bring your valise in a second. I just want to have a word with Mr Villiers here. You know, to convey my thanks."

When Serah was inside the carriage, Lightning turned back to Snow. "Mr Villiers is it? I saw how you were looking at my little sister."

"Well, it seems you're pretty clever." He smiled. "Your sister called you Claire, didn't she?"

"Yes," Lightning said. "Though most people just call me Lightning." Her lips firmed into a thin line. "I'm a sheriff, actually."

"Um… hi." Snow gulped. No wonder Serah's last name had sounded so familiar. There was only one sheriff who people called Lightning and she was definitely not someone he wanted to get on the wrong side of.

"My sister seems to like you," Lightning said, softly, gently, and to Snow infinitely menacingly. "We're also at the train station right now with no small number of people walking by, which leaves me in something of a bind." Serah waved from the carriage and Lightning waved back, smiling, before her gaze snapped back to Snow and her mouth settled into a frown. "See, I get the feeling that you happen to like my sister too, which really doesn't make me too happy and when I'm not happy I've been told I have the tendency to get a little violent." She pushed back her jacket to reveal the pistols at her side. "You catch my meaning?"

Snow nodded silently.

"Good." Lightning picked up Serah's valise and turned away. "Watch yourself, Mr Villiers."

Later as Snow was turning in for the night, he found his mind wandering back to a certain pink haired schoolteacher. Serah had been quite the sight for someone who'd spent his whole life out on the trail. She looked all sweet and delicate and talking to her made him feel like maybe, for the first time he was home, but he could tell that there was steel in her too, although maybe not so much as in that sister of hers, or at least so close to the surface.

He shivered. Lightning was something else, but she was a sheriff, so he supposed she couldn't just shoot him on sight. Besides, the best things in life were worth suffering for and he had a feeling that Serah could well become the best thing in his life. She'd mentioned good land out near Bodhum and in a few months he'd have enough to maybe settle down. That would help his chances, he was sure, because a man with some coin in his pockets and his own patch of land was a damn sight better as a prospect than a fiddle-footed stockman. He fell asleep with a smile on his face and a dream in his heart.

Elsewhere, Lightning scowled at the moon and continued to polish her gun. She had a feeling she'd be using it soon.

X X X

**Author's Notes**

First of all, I neither own Final Fantasy nor am I make any money off this.

Finally, we have Snow entering the fray, along with Serah. I've always thought that Serah and Snow made a cute sort of couple (even if she is really small and he is something of a giant). The idea of Serah as a schoolteacher is just something that fits for me, and I think Snow's size and personality make him suited to being a stockman (his friends who ride with him are, as you might have guessed, the other members of NORA). The bit at the end with Lightning was something I just had to slip in because I don't think it matters what universe they're in – she'll never think much of Snow at first.

As always, I appreciate your feedback. Reviews and comments are appreciated.


	5. Chapter 5

**Troublesome Customer**

"Nice place you got here." 

Sazh turned slowly from where he was working on a broken sewing machine and stifled the urge to either scream or shoot himself. "Fang."

Fang gave him a winning smile, which only increased his fear ten-fold. "How you doing, Sazh?"

He turned back to the sewing machine. "Whatever it is you want, go find someone else."

She chuckled. "Come on, Sazh, is that any way to greet an old friend?"

"Old friend?" He stomped over to her. "I can't even begin to count the number of times you almost killed me with those crazy schemes of yours."

"Oh come on, they weren't that crazy." Fang pushed him back to his workbench and laid a piece of mangled metal down in front of him. "Besides, I've just got one teeny, tiny favour to ask you…"

Sazh picked up the piece of metal and his face wrinkled in disgust. "This used to be a gun, Fang, emphasis on the 'used to be' part. What do you want me to do, fix it?"

She nodded and smiled. "Actually, that's exactly what I want you to do."

He shook his head. "No way. I don't do that kind of work anymore, Fang, you know that."

Fang looked around the workshop. There were disassembled sewing machines and other mechanical knick-knacks like boiler parts scattered around. "I can see that. So tell me, Sazh, just how much fun is it fixing sewing machines all day." She grinned. "I'm sure you're just dying to get to work each morning."

He pushed the broken gun away. "It's not bad. Besides, you know how things are now, Fang. I've got a kid and a wife to look after. Do you have any idea what the marshals would do to me if they knew I was helping you and Vanille?"

Fang patted him on the head. "Oh, don't be like that, Sazh. You know I'd never lead any of those jerks here. Besides, if they even think of going after you or your family, I'll sort them out good and proper." She pushed the gun back toward him. "Now, you can't tell me you aren't interested in working on it."

Sazh bit his lip. Fang's gun was something special. He hadn't made it, but if he ever met the person who had, he'd be sure to shake their hand. It was a work of art, the kind of weapon that any gunsmith – even a retired one like him – dreamed of working on. "Fang…"

Before he could say anything else, he was cut off by a loud, angry, and most definitely female voice. "What are you doing back there, Sazh? You're supposed to be working and instead I hear you chatting with some woman. Don't you even think about cheating on me!"

Sazh grimaced. "I'm not cheating on you honey."

"Then it better not be another customer come back to complain about the job you did." The woman's voice was filled with exasperation. "Honestly, people just want their sewing machines fixed. They don't need you trying to make them better when they worked just fine before." The sound of footsteps grew larger as the woman reached the door of the workshop.

"Run," Sazh whispered to Fang. "Save yourself."

"How?" Fang whispered back. "That's the only door." 

And then the door swung open. A beautiful dark skinned woman stood there, her mahogany eyes narrowing ominously as they swung from Sazh to Fang. Just behind her was a young boy with a small chocobo perched on his shoulder.

"Oh… it's you, Fang."

Fang grimaced. "Well… uh… it's nice to see you again, Lahna."

Lahna scowled. "I can't say the same. Why are you here?"

Fang struggled mightily to rein in her temper. Her gun wasn't exactly in working condition, but her fists were just fine. Somehow though, she didn't think Sazh would take to her slugging his wife too kindly. Still, it might just be worth it. "I was just seeing Sazh about my gun."

"Your gun, huh?" Lahna said. "Looks like scrap to me." She glowered. "You will be paying, right?"

Fang rolled her eyes. "Of course, I'll be paying. In fact, I've got fine hundred gill set aside just for this."

"Five hundred gill, huh?" Lahna's furious expression became thoughtful. "That's a fair bit of money." Her brows furrowed and she turned to glare at Sazh. "Get to work on that gun, Sazh!" she barked before she turned to the young boy behind her. "Come with mommy, Dajh, your father needs to work. Fixing sewing machines and boilers doesn't pay too well."

"Bye, Fang!" Dajh called, waving as he went off with his mother.

The moment the door of the workshop slammed closed, Fang sagged against the workbench.

"One of these days, Sazh, I swear I'm going to get her." Fang made strangling motions in the air. "Honestly, what did you ever see in her?"

Sazh sighed. "She's just fine most times. I just get the feeling she doesn't like you."

Fang gave him a look. "You think?"

Sazh shot her a glare of his own. "Stop acting like you haven't done anything to deserve it. If I recall correctly, you slipped a snake into her bed not long after you met her and that was after you tried to shoot her."

"I though she was trying to strangle you," Fang protested.

"She was kissing me!" Sazh threw his hands up in exasperation.

Fang threw her own hands up in exasperation. "Kissing is a form of strangulation!"

Sazh let loose a low chuckle. "I suppose it is at that. Now let me take a closer look at that gun of yours, seeing as how everybody seems to want me to fix it." He fixed her with a firm look. "You do have that five hundred gill, right?"

Fang grinned. "Of course."

"Good." He examined the gun carefully and winced as he took in each individual bit of damage. Not only was the barrel bent all out of shape, the chambers were all blown out and even the hand guard and trigger were damage too. He winced. "What exactly did you do to this gun?"

Fang laughed nervously and then replied. "Itgotrunoverbyatrain."

"What was that?" Sazh asked.

Fang looked away. "I said that it got run over by a train, okay."

"Run over by a train?" Sazh looked from her to the gun slowly with a brittle smile on his face. "That's a new one. Care to enlighten me as to how exactly your gun, a one of a kind prototype Cain Special single-action pistol which is probably worth more than everything else in this workshop put together ended up under a train?" By the end of it, there was a vein bulging out on the side of his head and his hands had crept up to wrap tightly around Fang's wrists.

"Um… how about you let go of my first." With some difficulty, Fang managed to pry Sazh's hands off her wrists. For an old timer, he was pretty strong when he was angry. "Well, me and Vanille ran into a little trouble a few days ago. You see, we might have sort of maybe blown up a bridge and derailed a train."

Sazh twitched. "Go on."

"I ended up fighting these marshals and one of them managed to get my gun off me… I guess it just ended up under the train before it derailed." Fang rubbed the back of her head nervously. "Funny how things like that happen, isn't it?"

Sazh laughed for about two seconds, before he slapped her over the back of the head. "No, Fang, it's not funny." He picked up the mangled gun. "This thing is a work of art, one of the greatest guns ever made, and you let it get run over by a train. I should just shoot you right now."

She grinned. "Well, it's a good thing you don't have a gun…" she trailed off as she saw him reach for a wrench. "Now let's cut to the chase, Sazh. Can you fix it?"

He sighed. "Come back in a week and I should have it done by then – that's if it can be done. And bring Vanille too. You know how much Dajh likes to see her."

Fang nodded. "I'll see you in a week then. Take it easy, old man." She patted his hair. "And try to take things easy. I think I'm starting to see some grey."

"I'm not that old," Sazh muttered a few moments after Fang had gone as he went to look at his reflection in a mirror. "And there's no grey in my hair… is there?"

A week later, Fang was back with Vanille. Lahna was waiting for them on the porch, a big pitcher of lemonade on the table in front of her and a shotgun across her lap.

"Expecting trouble there, Lahna?" Fang asked.

The older woman nodded. "Yeah. You." Then her expression brightened as she turned to Vanille. "Well, good afternoon Vanille, aren't you a fine young woman!" She turned back toward the house. "Dajh, Vanille's here!" As Dajh came out of the house with several glasses, Lahna looked back to Fang and Vanille. "Now come sit down here, Vanille and have some lemonade. I'm sure Dajh is just dying to hear all about what you've been up to."

"Don't I get any lemonade?" Fang asked.

Lahna glowered at her. "You've got business with Sazh out back." She glanced back at Vanille. "Now, come on, Vanille, hurry up and sit down. Tell me all about how things have been going for you. It must be tough spending all your time with a degenerate."

"Hey!" Fang whined. "I'm right here."

"Yes, Fang, I can see you, now get out back and settle up with Sazh."

"Um… maybe you shouldn't shout our names so loudly," Vanille said. "We are sort of infamous."

Lahna smiled. "Of course, dear." She poured Vanille and Dajh a glass of lemonade each. "Now why don't you tell Vanille all about Chirpy, Dajh? I swear that chocobo's getting bigger everyday. He can barely fit in your father's hair anymore." She scowled over at Fang. "Well, what are you waiting for, get going."

"One of these days," Fang grumbled as she stalked over to Sazh's workshop. "One of these days I'll give her a piece of my mind…"

She found Sazh waiting for her with the gun sitting prim and proper on his workbench. For a moment, she could only stare at it in amazement before she picked it up. The barrel was long and straight and polished till it shone. Spinning the chambers, she grinned at the smooth, easy turn of them. Finally, she held the gun properly and the familiar feel of it in her hand was like welcoming back a long lost friend.

"Tell me you've got bullets, Sazh, because I really need to shoot something."

A half hour of shooting later – most of which she spent imagining Lahna in place of her targets – and Fang was finally satisfied. The gun was as good as new, and maybe even a little better.

"Thanks, Sazh, I owe you won." Fang grinned.

Sazh grinned back. "Actually you owe me five hundred."

Fang continued to grin. "Surely you can do an old friend a favour and…"

"Five hundred, Fang." Sazh's continued to grin, as well. "That's what we agreed on. Otherwise, I'll have no choice but to invite you and Vanille to stay for dinner. I'm sure you and Lahna will have plenty to talk about."

"You play dirty, old man," Fang grumbled as she fished out the money. "But you do know I was going to pay you anyway, right?"

Sazh smiled. "Of course. You might be a lot of things, Fang, but you've always treated your friends well."

"In that case, I'll be seeing you later," Fang said as she turned to go and fetch Vanille. However, she'd only gone a few steps when Sazh spoke again.

"Oh and just so you know, Fang, you and Vanille really are invited to dinner." Sazh chuckled as Fang tripped over her own feet. "That's what you get for calling me old," he whispered as he headed back into his workshop to fix up another sewing machine.

X X X

**Author's Notes**

First of all, I neither own Final Fantasy nor am I making any money off this.

At last we have Sazh and Dajh entering the story. The idea of Sazh as a retired gunsmith/gunslinger was something that I'd considered for a while before writing this chapter. However, the idea of his wife as not only being alive, but also quite, shall we say, ferocious is something that just happened to pop up as I was writing the chapter. In any case, I liked the way it ended up, so I decided to keep it. If you want to blame anybody, blame The Incredibles, which I was watching while writing this chapter. As for the use of Lahna as the name of Sazh's wife, it's something I made up because I couldn't find an official name for her anywhere.

As always, I appreciate your feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	6. Chapter 6

**The Trouble With Saloons**

Hope glanced up at the sky and nodded to himself. It wasn't too late just yet, maybe an hour or two shy of sunset and he had some time to kill, and money to help him do it. His father had come to Midgar Town to pick up some things that couldn't be had easily back where they lived out West. Hope had tagged along with him for two reasons. First of all, the Farrons had come along too, Lightning and her sister, Serah. Serah ran a school back in Bodhum and there were things in Midgar Town, mostly books and the such, that she just couldn't get back in Bodhum. Second, he was dying for the chance to poke around some place he didn't already know like the back of his hand.

His father had given him a whole ten dollars and told him to look around town for a bit while he and the Farron sisters sorted out their own business. He'd been a little worried, but he wanted to show his father that he could take proper care of himself, that he wasn't just a boy anymore, but a man. Most of all though he wanted to impress Lightning. He was almost fifteen now and when he was old enough, he had plans to ask Lightning to take him on as her deputy.

Of course, he wasn't fool enough to think that Lightning would just say yes, at least, not right away. To her, he was still a kid. Sure, she might show him a thing or two about guns, but she wasn't about to trust him with a real one either. Still, he was growing fast and so was Bodhum and he knew it wouldn't be long now before she needed to take on a real deputy, instead of just relying on a couple of the town's men to pitch in when she needed an extra hand. And it wasn't just Hope that thought that way. Even Amodar, a retired marshal who lived in Bodhum, agreed that Lightning could use a proper deputy of her own.

Hope wanted to really make a good impression, so rather than just spending the money on whatever caught his fancy, he'd looked out for what he felt he really needed. His first purchase had been a new pair of boots, sized so that there was still plenty of growing room in them. After that, he'd picked out a proper hat for outdoor work, a fine Stetson that he could have sworn was just the same shade as Lightning's.

Still, the day had been pretty hot and he was starting to get mighty thirsty. Normally, he wouldn't even think of going into a saloon, but he was feeling pretty big in his new boots and all kinds of swanky in his new hat. He also had a powerful hankering for some soda pop and he figured that at this time of day, there probably wouldn't be too much trouble. Besides, the carriage to take them all back West was due in a little past sundown, so he had a bit more time to kill still.

He entered the saloon and braced himself, ready for just about anything. He'd heard all sorts of tall tales about saloons, and the last thing he wanted was to end up in one of them. But the saloon was pretty quiet, with only a couple of cowboys sipping whiskey, a bartender who looked to have seen better days, and a few lazy looking ranch hands dabbling at a game of poker. Not exactly the stuff of tall tales, but just the kind of thing he was looking for.

He sat down at the bar and put on what he hoped was a mature looking face. "A bottle of soda pop."

The bartender took one look at him and then turned away to yell into the back room. "Lebreau. Get out here. There's a brat that wants some soda pop."

Brat? Hope felt a flush of anger run through him, but held his tongue. The last thing he wanted to do was to end up in jail. That definitely wouldn't be a good look for a future deputy. A few moments later, a young woman came out from the back room. She had a frazzled look about her, but she was pretty too, with long black hair and eyes that were a kind of amber colour.

She shot the bartender a mean look – which he ignored – and then turned to Hope. "Soda pop, was it?"

Hope nodded. "A bottle of soda pop." He looked over at the bartender then back at the woman. "What was it he called you?"

She handed him his soda pop. "The name's Lebreau."

Hope took a gulp of his soda pop. Normally, he wouldn't have commented too much on appearances, but Lebreau had a lively air about her that seemed at odds with the downtrodden look of the saloon. "I hope you don't mind my saying so… but you don't exactly fit in here."

Lebreau smiled and ruffled Hope's hat. "Well, aren't you just the sweetest young man?" Hope blushed right down to his new boots and was glad that his new hat kept the worst of it from her. "Fact is I'm good friends with a couple of the stockmen that work round these parts. There's a group of us that have been together for a while that are thinking of moving out West to Bodhum. The land out there is supposed to be pretty good and a couple of them think they'll actually make decent farmers." She grinned. "Not me though. I plan to open a saloon in Bodhum. I've been up there and the place they've got now isn't fit to call itself one."

Hope fiddled with his bottle of soda pop. "Sounds like a good idea."

"What about you, kid?" Lebreau asked as she started to wipe down the bar with a damp cloth. "You don't exactly fit in here either."

"I'm Hope." He grimaced. "You've got me figured. I'm not normally the kind to go into saloons, but I've got some time to kill and I wanted some soda pop. This place seemed as good as any."

Lebreau nodded. "It's a fine place to kill time, although if you're looking to drown your sorrows while you're here, you'll need something a little stronger than that soda pop." She put a bottle of whiskey down in front of him and laughed as he pushed it back. "I'm just teasing you, Hope. Honestly, though, you seem pretty decent and the way I see it, decent folk are always welcome. Still, a kid like you needs to be careful. Today was payday down at the big ranch owned by that rich fellow Barthandelus."

"How's that trouble?" Hope asked.

Lebreau poured herself some whiskey and took a sip. "You must not run into stockmen or ranch hands too much, Hope. Thing is, they get their pay all at once at the end of the season, so they come into town with too much coin jangling in their pockets. Most of them don't know a thing about saving and look to live things up a little."

"They're trouble then?" Hope took another sip of his soda.

"Not exactly, but you give any man fifty dollars worth of whiskey, beer, or moonshine, and even a right decent fellow can get all kinds of rowdy." She sighed. "They'll blow in some time around sundown, so you'd best clear off before they get too loud."

"That's just fine with me," Hope said. "I've got a carriage to catch."

Lebreau nodded. "That's a good thing too. It'd be a shame if you spoiled that fine hat of yours in a fight."

Hope grinned. "It's not bad, is it?"

Hope spent the next hour or so just sipping lightly from his soda pop, nursing it really, and chatting with Lebreau. It made him all kinds of nervous. He wasn't good with girls, but he was really starting to take notice of them and it was nice to talk to one who didn't make fun of him just because he sometimes got a little tongue tied, or maybe blushed a bit much. However, he was careful to keep track of things, as little by little, the saloon began to fill.

"Hard day, Lebreau?"

He nearly jumped out of his seat as a big body slumped onto the stool beside him. He looked over as discretely as he could manage. The man beside him was plenty tall and built fair rugged too. He was dressed like a stockman and there was a lazy grin on his face that went well with his blonde hair and blue eyes. Those same eyes were filled with mirth as the big man watched Lebreau juggle close to a dozen orders.

"You looking for a fight, Snow Villiers, because you'll have one if you don't let me work in peace!" Lebreau snapped.

The big man, Snow, just laughed. "I'm not looking for a fight, but I am looking for a whiskey. I've got celebrating to do! I've finally got enough to buy up that plot I was eyeing just outside of Bodhum."

"That so?" Lebreau actually stopped what she was doing and glared ferociously at the men who complained at the lack of service. "And the rest of us?" She scowled. "Don't forget you and Gardot still owe me money after that last fiasco down south…"

Snow laughed. "Don't worry, Lebreau. I've got all that taken care of. We can all move, the lot of us. The place I got picked out is more than big enough for all of us, even though it might be rough the first few years."

Lebreau sniffed. "Rough? Maybe for you men, but I've a plan to start a good and proper saloon in town. I've had enough of dusty roads and sleeping on bed rolls." She looked over at Hope. "And speaking of Bodhum, this fellow here, Hope, seems to know a thing or two."

"Really?" Snow extended one hand. "Nice to meet you then, Hope. I'm Snow."

The two of them shook hands and Hope was more than glad that Snow had the decency not to crush his hand too much.

"So, you know a thing or two about Bodhum, Hope?" Snow accepted a bottle of whiskey from Lebreau with a nod and poured a little into a glass. "You know anything about that sheriff they got up there?"

There was a slightly worried look in Snow's eyes that Hope didn't quite understand. "You mean Lightning?"

"That's the one," Snow said.

Hope looked at Snow more closely. The worried look he'd seen had taken on something not all that dissimilar to actual fear, which was odd because Snow looked tough enough to deal with just about anything. Maybe Snow had trouble with the law? That would explain why he seemed so worried. As big as Snow was, Hope would still have laid every cent he had on Lightning in any sort of fight between the two.

"I guess you could say I know her," Hope said carefully. "Any reason you're asking?"

Snow shivered. "Just asking. I met her once. She's… quite a lady. Toughest one I've ever met."

Hope nodded. "That's Lightning, all right."

Snow grinned and took a long swig of his whiskey. "So tell me, Hope, is there this school teacher over there in Bodhum that goes by the name of Serah?"

The two of them talked close to another hour. Hope was actually a little surprised by how easy it was to talk to Snow. Despite the way he'd seemed at the start, Snow was actually a pretty easy-going guy, and real nice too. He didn't treat Hope too shabbily and even bought him another soda pop when he'd finished his. The only strange thing was how much he kept asking about Bodhum, and not about the land around there or anything else either. No, almost all of his questions seemed to be about Lightning or Serah.

Hope looked out the window. It was just about sundown. "Well, it's been nice talking to you, Snow, but I've got to get going."

Snow smiled and clapped Hope over the back, nearly knocking him over. "That's a pity, Hope, you're pretty decent company. Get running then, and make sure you say hello to Ms Farron for me – that's Serah Farron, not Lightning!"

Hope winced and rubbed his back. Maybe that whiskey was finally starting to affect Snow. "I'll be sure to do that." He got off his stool. "Look after yourself." He turned –

And ran straight into a stockman carrying several bottles of whiskey. The stockman tripped and fell and the bottles smashed onto the ground, spilling whiskey everywhere. There was dead silence as the stockman first gaped at the ruined bottles and then stood to face Hope.

"You just lost me all my whiskey!" the stockman yelled as he grabbed Hope by the shirt.

"Hey, you let go of him!" Hope nearly wept with relief as Snow pulled the stockman's hands off him. "You should have been looking where you were going."

"Push off!" the stockman growled. "This isn't your business."

Hope winced as Snow pushed past him. "It's my business now."

"Is that so?" The stockman's fists were clenched.

"Yeah." Snow grinned. "It is." And then he punched the stockman in the face.

It was a good solid punch that landed flush on the jaw and the stockman spun once, in a lazy circle, before he slumped to the ground. That wasn't the end of things, however, as the stockman hadn't come to the saloon alone. He'd brought friends, a fair number of them too, and they weren't happy.

"You should get out of here, kid," Snow said. "Now."

Hope look at the semi-circle of half drunk stockmen that were closing in. "I really wish I could see how." Already his dreams of making a good impression on his father and Lightning were fading fast. "But somehow, I don't think they're just going to let me go."

And that was when the melee started.

One of the stockmen darted forward and lunged at Hope, but Snow was there to grab him about the waist and hurl him away. He landed in the middle of a group of ranch hands playing poker. The table they were playing on broke and cards and money went flying everywhere. Needless to say, they turned on the stockmen and from there it was only second before every man in the bar turned to the person he liked the least and gave them a piece of their mind – or rather a taste of their fists.

As for Hope, he did his best to try to get to the door unnoticed, but that was easier said than done. There was a yell, a crash, and suddenly he had to duck as an unconscious ranch hand sailed over him and smashed into the wall. Another time, he had to duck as two cowboys exchanged a hail of missiles, mostly bottles of whiskey and anything else they could get their hands on.

He was almost to the door when someone spotted him.

"Hey! It's that damn kid. Someone get him!"

Hope eye's widened as one of the stockmen who'd been there at the very start of the fight lunged for him. He scrambled back and under a table before shooting out the other side as the crazed stockman went after him.

"Damn it, kid, stand still!" the stockman yelled.

All of sudden, Hope found himself backed up against the bar and before he could even think of diving over it, the stockman threw a great big haymaker of a punch. Hope ducked and backpedalled only to stumble over a half-broken stool. As the stockman loomed over him with murder in his eyes, Hope did the only thing he could thing of. He grabbed the bottle of whiskey on the floor beside him and threw it at the stockman.

The bottle of whiskey connected just right with the stockman's head and burst in a shower of glass and alcohol. The stockman's eyes rolled back and then he thudded to the floor. Hope winced and then screamed as strong hands yanked him to his feet.

"Not bad, kid."

Hope turned and saw that it was Snow who'd yanked him to his feet. The big man had a bruise on his chin and another over his right eye, but there was a small mountain of unconscious people around him that seemed to have fared worse.

"Stop gawking, kid, and take this." Snow handed Hope the remains of a chair.

"What do I do with this?" Hope asked.

Snow grinned. "Use it to hit anyone who tries to hit you."

Hope laughed nervously. "I'm not sure that I can do that. I mean that thing with the whiskey bottle was just an acci –" He ducked as a stockman swung for his head with what looked to be the leg of a chair. Without even thinking, he hit back with his own broken chair and the man went down with a gurgle.

"That's it!" Snow shouted. "Just keep doing that and you'll be fine."

"I don't really think that this is a good idea…" Hope was still desperately looking for a way back toward the door and he glanced back, thinking that maybe Lebreau might be able to help him. He shouldn't have bothered.

Lebreau was standing on top of one corner of the bar wielding a bar stool like a club. Someone lunged at her with a punch and she dropped the man with a kick to the chin that must've rattled his teeth something fierce. Another leapt onto the bar and she nailed him the stool, sending him crashing back to the ground. Shouting something that sounded a great deal like "This is all your fault Snow!" she put another man in a chokehold and then flung him into the others behind him.

Realising that there was little else he could do for the time being, Hope did the only thing he could. He hit someone else with a chair and when that didn't do the job, he used a bottle of whiskey too. And when the next person lunged at him, he repeated the process. Yep, he was going to make a right fine deputy.

How long this went on he wasn't sure, but he was definitely sure about the moment when things turned from a simple brawl to something worse. He might not know too much about fisticuffs, but even he knew it wasn't decent to pull a gun during a bar room brawl, especially not when no one else had pulled a gun. Still, that was exactly what one of the stockmen was doing, perhaps a little too drunk, either on alcohol or punches, to see sense.

"Watch out Snow!" Hope yelled, already knowing that the big man would never be able to move in time. He closed his eyes.

BANG!

Everyone in the bar froze, many of them mid-punch, at the sound of the shot and Hope forced his eyes to open again. Only, Snow wasn't hurt. In fact, as far as he could tell, no one had been shot. And the reason was simple. The stockman no longer held his gun because someone had shot it out of his hand, a pink haired someone who stood at the doors of the saloon with an icy glare that promised death to anyone who so much as breathed funny.

"Gunplay in a brawl hardly seems proper," Lightning drawled. The sheriff's star on her coat was hard to miss. "Although in a place like this, I shouldn't be surprised." She eyed the downed men, broken furniture, and spilt alcohol with distaste. She smiled coldly. "Now would any of you folks mind telling me who started this?"

Hope suddenly found himself the centre of attention.

"Hope Estheim, are you responsible for this mess?" Lightning ground out. "And think carefully before you answer."

Hope swallowed. "Well… sort of… I mean…" He fumbled wildly for something, anything to explain the disaster. He looked at Snow. "I might have… but Snow threw the first punch!" He pointed at Snow. As Lightning's gaze narrowed and locked onto Snow, Hope decided that yes, discretion was definitely the better part of valour. Besides, a good deputy should be able to think on his feet.

"So, it looks like we meet again, Mr Villiers."

Snow flinched as Lightning bit off each syllable of his surname, her finger slowly tightening on the trigger. "Umm…. Hi?"

Lightning smiled. "Why don't we take a walk together, Mr Villiers?" Her gaze flicked to Hope. "And you… you'd best get going, the carriage should be here soon."

That night, Hope went to sleep with a bruise on his chin and his ears still ringing from the tongue lashings he'd gotten from first his father and then Lightning. It hadn't helped either, that he'd turned up to both still clutching a broken bottle in one hand.

As for Snow, he spent the night in Midgar Town's smallest jail cell. It took Lebreau until noon the next day to bail him out.

And Lightning? By all accounts, she slept just fine knowing that a certain blonde stockman was nowhere near her sister. In fact, Serah said she even woke up smiling.

X X X

**Authors Notes**

First of all, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off this.

I thought it would be a good idea to introduce Snow to Hope and when I was shopping for rum today (and before you ask, the rum wasn't for me), this idea popped into my head. The idea of Hope breaking a chair or bottle over someone's head is something that I find indescribably funny. The last part with Lightning was my way of working her into the chapter and giving her a chance to deal, at least temporarily, with the danger that she thinks Snow represents. Note, however, that Snow does have enough to settle out near Bodhum now, so Lightning's solution isn't nearly as permanent as she thinks it is. I had also considered bringing Fang and Vanille into things, but a bar fight involving that many members of the cast would be completely out of control although I won't rule out doing one at some future date. Honestly, Lightning and Fang would make an awesome bar room brawl tag team.

As always, I appreciate, your feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	7. Chapter 7

**Bandits, Sheriffs, and Marshals**

Lightning pushed away from the bar and blocked the doors of the saloon. "You planning on telling me what a bunch of marshals are doing in my town, and dressed like that too?"

Jihl Nabaat smiled innocently and put one hand on Lightning's shoulder. "Whatever do you mean, sheriff? We're just humble Cocoon employees looking to make an honest living."

"I'm not in the mood for your games, Nabaat." Lightning shrugged Jihl's hand off her shoulder and grabbed the other woman by the collar of her shirt. "I know you, and I know you're up to something so spit it out. Bodhum is my town."

"Well, Farron," Jihl said, drawling out Lightning's surname like it was something a mite unsavoury. "This might be your town, but you're just a sheriff and if you lay your hands on me just one more time, I'll have you arrested."

Lightning let go of Jihl's collar. "I'd like to see you try. Now stop playing, Nabaat, what is it that you're up to?"

"I can see you're in a pushing sort of mood, Farron," Jihl said. "But if you must know I've got word that a couple of fugitive are going to be holding up a stagecoach carrying Cocoon employees just outside Bodhum later this afternoon."

"Is that why you're playing dress up then?" Lightning glanced past Jihl at the other marshals. Rather than the usual serviceable wear that marshals favoured, all of them were dressed more like clerks or bank employees.

"If that's what you want to call it." Jihl reached up to adjust her glasses and pushed past Lightning. "So now that you know, sheriff, why don't you just stay out of our way like a good little girl?"

BANG.

Jihl felt stopped dead in her tracks as she felt the bullet rush past her temple. She turned slowly, and this time, she wasn't smiling. "You really don't want to do that, Farron?" she said softly, hand going to the pistol at her side. "You like to think you're mighty fast, but you're not the only one who's quick on the draw."

Lightning's eyes hardened. "I thought I saw a spider in your hair, figured I'd save you the trouble of dealing with it." She holstered her pistol. "Besides, Nabaat, you should know by now that you'd never beat me to the draw, not on your best day."

"That attitudes the reason you're still stuck in a piddling little town like this," Jihl sneered before she turned and started walking to the stagecoach waiting in front of the saloon. "Come on," she shouted over her shoulder to the other marshals. "Let's get this show on the road so we can get out of this miserable town."

X X X

"That's about far enough," Fang warned as she pointed her pistol at the driver of the stagecoach. She bit back a grin as the fellow hopped off the front and went to stand over where she could see him better. If her source was good, then this stagecoach was just what she had been waiting for, what with it carrying a couple of Cocoon bigwigs who'd have the information she wanted. As she walked over to the door, she wondered if Vanille was having as much luck looking for supplies in town. "Now why don't we open this door and see who we've got here."

She yanked open the door.

"Why if it isn't the Bahahum Bandit," Jihl drawled. "How nice to finally meet you."

Fang's eyes widened and she had just enough time to raise the gun level with Jihl's chest before something struck her on the back of the head. The last thing she saw was Jihl's amused smirk before everything went black.

"Let's see you get out of this one."

The next thing Fang knew, she was waking up in a jail cell and that wasn't the worst of it either. Someone had tied her up and while she could normally get herself untangled from just about any rope in a minute or two, whoever had tied her up this time had done it good and proper. There wasn't any leverage for her to try and get free and they'd also removed everything from the inside of the cell that she could possibly use to try and get the ropes off. Hell, other than the bars, there wasn't anything in the cell at all.

Great. Just great. On the other hand, at least Vanille hadn't been with her. When she didn't make it back to their meet up on time, the redhead would come looking for her and bust her out. All she had to do was sit tight till then and try not to do anything too stupid.

With all the planning out of the way, Fang took a look outside the cell. From what she could see, the cell was at the back of a large room, and in front of it was what looked like an office, with a couple of tables and chairs and some paperwork. That meant she wasn't in a proper prison. Most likely, she was locked up in the local sheriff's place, probably in Bodhum since that was the closest town to where Jihl had got the jump on her.

Bodhum, Fang thought, now why did that name sound familiar? Then it came to her. That was right. Word was that Bodhum had something of a pretty tough sheriff, a woman too, if what she'd heard was right. She chuckled. With her luck the sheriff was probably some ugly, brute of a woman who looked more like a man or a bear than anything else.

And that was when the sheriff walked in. Fang grinned. Maybe her luck was on the up and up.

"Well, well, well," she drawled. "You wouldn't happen to be Sheriff Farron, now would you?"

Fang's grin widened when the pink-haired woman with a star pinned to her coat stopped and glared. Hell, even glaring she was gorgeous, what with all that lovely pink hair just waiting for her to run her fingers through it and those eyes the colour of sky way out West.

"What's it to you?" Lightning asked.

And what a voice to go with the rest of it, Fang thought. It was all cool and commanding. What would it sound, she wondered, hot with anger or something else. "Well, I'd always sort of imagined the legendary Sheriff Farron would be a great deal taller and a good bit uglier. Just goes to show you can't believe everything you hear." She let her lips curve wickedly into what Vanille called her 'flirty face'. "Never thought you'd be such a looker."

She wasn't disappointed. In fact, Fang had to hold back a cackle as a Lightning's glare grew ten times colder, although the effect was ruined by the faintest hint of pink on her cheeks. Time to turn on that old Oerba Yun Fang charm.

"So sheriff," Fang said, drawing out the last word like fine wine, "What's a fine girl like you doing in a dusty old town like this?"

"That's about enough out of you," Lightning ground out as she drew her pistol and levelled it at Fang's head. "I've had enough trouble with those marshals throwing their weight around. The last thing I need is a wanted criminal running her mouth off."

Fang smirked. So the sheriff wanted to play? Well, that was just fine by her. "Well, sheriff, would you mind putting that gun away? Word is your pretty decent, and I like to think I can judge a person pretty well. I figure you won't shoot me in cold blood." Lightning eased the hammer back and Fang winced. "Or maybe you would." She tilted her head to one side. "Though if you're going to be shooting me, mind maybe giving me a last meal or something? I could use a good steak."

With what looked to be a great deal of will power, Lightning lowered her pistol. "Shut it. I'm not wasting any more time talking to someone like you."

Fang watched with mighty keen interest as Lightning shrugged off her coat and sat down at one of the tables to do some paperwork. From where she was, Fang had a pretty good view of Lightning's figure, and she had to admit, the other woman's clothing fit her all kinds of well. Lightning was all slim, toned deadliness, just the sort of woman Fang knew she shouldn't mess with, but probably would. And hopefully would, part of her added.

"Come on, sheriff, don't go all high and mighty on me. Besides, who knows how long those marshals are going to be. Why not talk for a spell?" Fang put on her best winning smile.

Lightning remained focused on her paper work. "Pipe down, criminal." She gestured at her gun. "I won't ask again."

Fang was about to say something else, when the door opened.

Lightning looked up and scowled. "You took your sweet time, Nabaat. Hurry up and get her off my hands."

"I'm afraid Marshal Nabaat here won't be going anywhere with Fang, although I'll be happy to." Lightning's eyes narrowed at the unfamiliar voice and she reached for her gun, but stopped when Jihl stumbled forward, a pistol pressed squarely against her back. "Good choice, sheriff, I'd hate to have to rearrange the marshal's innards."

The woman holding the gun to Jihl's back was a bit short with black hair and green eyes.

"Took you long enough," Fang shouted from her cell. "Although you shouldn't go with black, it looks right horrible on you."

Vanille grinned and shoved Jihl forward before she pulled off her black wig. "Well, it's not much of a disguise if I look the same and red and blonde just don't look different enough." She looked over at Lightning and smiled. "Hi there, sheriff. Thanks for keeping an eye on Fang. I hope she wasn't too much trouble."

"Hey!" Fang shouted. "I'm never trouble. Now, how about you get me out of here?"

Vanille sighed loudly. "I guess I could do that." She gestured at the cell. "Sheriff, if you'd be so kind as to let my friend there out of the cell." When Lightning didn't move she prodded Jihl in the back with the gun. "Quickly, please, or your friend the marshal here will be sporting a good sized hold in her chest."

Lightning growled. "She's not my friend." She looked over at her gun. It was right there and the odds were pretty good that she could get to it and fire before Vanille could get her.

Jihl must have seen her thinking, because the marshal's face paled. "Don't you dare go for that gun, Farron, or so help me, I'll have marshals on your trail, as well."

"Fine." Lightning pulled her hand away from her gun. "But only you, Nabaat, could get held up by a little girl."

Fang grimaced. "I wouldn't call her that."

"I am not a little girl!" Vanille growled, jabbing Jihl with the gun.

"Damn it," Jihl said as pain lanced through her back. "I didn't say anything. Now hurry up and get that cell opened, Farron."

Lightning went over to the cell and unlocked it.

"Mind untying me too, while you're here?" Fang said, smiling all the while.

Lightning untied Fang, taking great pleasure in jerking the rope as roughly as she could whenever the opportunity presented itself. Fang though, just smirked at her the whole while and then dusted herself off as she stood.

"You seem to like it rough, sheriff, though if that's what you want, I guess that's fine by me." Fang's voice took on a sultry lilt. "For a fine girl like you, well, I can be mighty accommodating."

Lightning just turned away and Fang was certain that had Vanille not had a gun on the marshal, Lightning would have riddled her with holes.

"Just hold it right there, sheriff," Fang said, rubbing her wrists and putting on a look of mock pain. "I see you've got my gun belt and pistol on that there table and I find I'm feeling a mite painful." Her eyes twinkled and she held her arms up. "Mind putting them on for me."

Lightning's eyes widened and she looked set to refuse, but Fang just nodded a little in Vanille's direction. The little redhead shot Fang a look that plainly told her not to play around, but really, how could she resist with the sheriff being so darn good to tease? Lightning stalked over to the table and grabbed the gun belt and pistol. Then she walked over to Fang and draped the gun belt around the taller woman's waist, careful to pull it much too tight as she stood and glared right at her, bright blue into shimmering green.

"Well, sheriff, that's a little tight." Fang caught Lightning's hands in her own. "You've got to loosen up a little." She bit back a laugh as she felt the tension running through Lightning. "How about I give you a little demonstration?" Her eyes dropped very deliberately to Lightning's gun belt. She also took the opportunity to admire the pink haired woman's slim waist. "What do you think?" She put one hand on Lightning's hip.

Lightning smiled and leaned in close. "A demonstration, huh?"

"Yeah," Fang grinned. This was going better than she'd hoped for. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Vanille and Jihl both staring and leaned in real close till she could feel Lightning's breath on her lips. "After all, folks say the best way to learn things is hands on."

Lightning's eyes fluttered shut. "Is that so?" Her eyes opened and they were flashing blue fire. "How about this?" And then she slugged Fang with a thunderous left hook.

"Fang!" Vanille shouted, her attention wavering from Jihl as Fang staggered away from Lightning, clutching at her jaw and trying to get her head clear. It was exactly the moment that Jihl had been waiting for. She turned and knocked the gun out of Vanille's hand before she drove one booted foot into the smaller woman's stomach.

Fang cleared her head just in time to see Vanille fold over Jihl's foot. Rage surged through her and she heard a snarl leave her lips. That damn marshal! However, she hadn't taken more than a few steps before Lightning was on her and damn if the sheriff wasn't just about the faster person that Fang had ever fought. Before she even knew what had happened, Lightning caught her with another punch and then another and Fang grimaced, tasting blood, as she tried to grab hold of Lightning by the collar. Only she didn't grab Lightning by the collar. She'd grabbed her by the chest.

Lightning looked down at the offending limb like it was the worst criminal in the world. "Let go of my chest," she growled.

Fang didn't need to be told twice and scrambled away from Lightning. "Now, you listen here, sheriff, I was just trying to keep you from landing another one of those damn punches of yours." She grinned. "Hell, I'd swear you hit harder than a damn train."

Lightning's eyes narrowed and her gaze flicked to the gun on her desk. "Never mind the trial," she muttered. "I'll shoot you myself."

As Lightning dove for her gun, Fang reached for her pistol. She wasn't planning on shooting the sheriff, but she could sure shoot that gun of hers to bits. She pulled the trigger. Click. She pulled the trigger again. Click. "Oh damn… I should've known you'd be smart enough to empty it first."

As Fang frantically tried to reload her pistol, Lightning reached her desk only for Vanille to come crashing into it. The desk came apart and the gun clattered away. Lightning went to go after it, but Jihl was there to trip her up, so intent on strangling Vanille that she scarcely seemed to see Lightning.

It was like watching a coyote fight a bear, Lightning thought. Jihl was bigger and stronger, but Vanille wasn't one to take a beating lying down. The redhead was plenty fierce, kicking and clawing and fighting fifteen different kinds of dirty to try to swing things her way. Glancing back at Fang, she saw the other woman had almost finished reloading her gun and leapt toward her. The two of them tumbled to the ground, punching and kicking as best they could at one another. They rolled one way, breaking a chair, and then the other, a table smash to bits as they slammed up into it.

Paper flew everywhere and Lightning bit back a grimace as Fang kicked her off. She pushed herself up onto her knees just in time to see Vanille land a vicious kick to Jihl's shin before she grabbed a chair and smashed it into the marshal. Jihl gave a groan and collapsed, half-conscious on top of Lightning.

"Come on, Fang," Vanille shouted. "We need to get out of here."

"I guess you're right," Fang said as they ran for the door. Once she got there she stopped and turned to wink at Lightning who was still struggling to shove Jihl off her. "Well, I guess this is goodbye, sheriff. Maybe next time, I'll get to tie you up."

X X X

**Author's Notes**

First of all, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off this.

And so Fang and Lightning finally meet. And what first meeting would be complete without disguises, brawls, and of course some rope? I thought it would be best for them to meet like this, rather than having them exchanging bullets at first sight. As for how Lightning knows Jihl, that's a story for another day.

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	8. Chapter 8

**Lunch with Ms Farron**

Serah loved teaching, she really did, but there were times when she was mighty tempted to drop by her sister's office and grab a weapon or two. This morning was one of those times. Little Tidus hadn't just turned up to class late, he'd turned up covered almost head to toe in mud. Considering that it hadn't rained for near on a week, she wasn't sure that she even wanted to know how he'd managed that. Of course, he hadn't done the sensible thing and wiped himself clean before coming in. No, he'd somehow figured that it would be a good idea to hug anyone he could catch.

The other kids hadn't taken too well to that, except for maybe Yuna, and it wasn't all that long before she'd had a fair sized brawl on her hands. Problem was, she couldn't exactly pull a gun on the little critters although she'd been sorely tempted when Tidus had come at her with arms outstretched to give her a hug. It would have been cute if he'd been clean, but she'd only just bought her dress and she quite liked it a light pink instead of brown. Nor could she rely on her sister's other methods of dealing with the local riff raff. It might not be as bad as shooting them, but she didn't think any of the parents would take too kindly to her getting busy with her left hook.

Still, she hadn't gone all the way back east to Eden City to learn how to teach just to let one muddy little boy scare her off. With a firm nod, she clapped her hands to try and get their attention and when that didn't work, she put one hand to her lips and whistled as loudly as she could. That got their attention all right, and she bit back a grin, as they all stood about with their hands clamped to their ears. Smiling, she gestured for all of them to take a seat.

"Why don't we get started for today?"

Things quietened down some after that, or at least they got as quiet as they ever got when it came to a bunch of youngsters out West. Every time she turned her back, someone would be trying to pick a fight or pull a prank. Still, none of them had the guts to try and pull a prank on her. She might have become quite a prim and proper lady, but she'd been something of a prankster herself back when she and Lightning had been younger. She'd also been pretty quick on her feet too, since playing a prank on Lightning was like kicking a sleeping coyote – likely to end in a great deal of pain.

"Yuffie Kisaragu, don't you even think of throwing that pencil at Vincent," Serah said, her back to the class as she wrote on the board. The girl in question gasped and dropped the pencil she'd been about to throw. Even without looking, she knew the rest of the children were exchanging looks that were a mix of awe and terror. Most of them had got to thinking she had eyes on the back of her head or something, but the truth was that she'd learned to turn her head just far enough to see most of the class out of the corner of her eyes. It helped too, that most of them had a hard time controlling their giggling just before they did something silly.

But despite all the trouble they could cause, Serah was pretty happy with the kids. They were decent enough and once they got settled down, and most of them had a pretty good head for sums and letters and there were even a few that she thought could really make a go of university. In any case, she was just happy knowing that by the time she was done with them, every one of them would be able to read well enough to get through a newspaper and figure sums well enough to work out if a deal was fair or not.

When lunchtime came, she let most of the children go for a bit. Pretty much all of them went back home for lunch, but there were always one or two who brought lunch and just stayed around the schoolhouse until it was time to start again. Today, only Yuffie stayed behind.

"So, Yuffie, what do you have for lunch?" Serah asked as she eyed her own meagre meal of muesli. Normally, she'd have something better, but today she'd mighty rushed what with Lightning being too busy working on fixing her office back up to give her much of a hand.

Yuffie opened her lunchbox and squinted hard at what was inside. "I think it's porridge."

Serah raised one eyebrow and leaned over to take a better look. Whatever was in Yuffie's lunchbox, it did sort of resemble porridge, although Serah wouldn't have been to keen to place a wager on that. "I see… so, Yuffie, why were you going to throw a pencil at Vincent?"

The girl huffed and looked away and Serah had to bite back a smile. Yuffie was just going on seven and already she was quite a handful. "He's always making funny of me. He keep calling me short but he's only taller than me because he's a year older! If we were the same age I know I'd be taller."

Serah again had to hold back a smile. Vincent was tall for a kid, and while Yuffie wasn't the shortest seven year old she'd ever seen, she wasn't far off. Somehow, she doubted that just being a year older would changes things. Still, she didn't have the heart to point that out to Yuffie. Instead, she just listened as the girl continued to rail about all the horrible things that Vincent was supposed to have done, most of which it was plain to see, had nothing to do with him at all.

At least it had only been a pencil that Yuffie was going to throw. When Serah had first started her classes up, they'd been throwing just about anything they could lay their hands on, even books. However, she'd put a stop to that pretty fast after one sorry incident in which both Yuffie and Vincent had gone home with black eyes from a pair of well-aimed dictionaries. Still, despite the way they were always fighting each other, Serah had a feeling they were pretty close too. Only Vincent could pick on Yuffie, and the last time that any of the other boys had tried, Vincent had been on him like a wolverine.

"So you see, Ms Farron," Yuffie said as she finally put an end to her rambling. "It's actually all Vincent's fault."

Serah chuckled softly and ruffled ruffled Yuffie's hair. "Don't worry too much about what he says, Yuffie. I'm sure that when you grow up, you'll be a right lovely young lady."

Yuffie beamed and Serah was about to say something else when suddenly there was a knock from the door. Looking over, Serah felt her heart skip a beat when saw a certain blonde stockman there with that looked to be a plate of sandwiches.

"Afternoon there," Snow said. "Mind if I come in, Ms Farron?"

Serah's mouth was suddenly feeling a little dry. "Not at all, Mr Villiers." She swallowed slowly. "Although I hope you're not here for a lesson. You'll be a mite older than the other students, I'm afraid."

Snow took off his hat and stepped into the schoolroom and smiled teasingly. "I'd say it depends a fair bit on what kind of lesson you're thinking of teaching, Ms Farron."

Serah blinked for a moment and then felt a blush bloom across her cheeks as the meaning of his words became clear. Shooting him as disapproving a look as she could manage while still blushing something fierce, she said, "Why, Mr Villiers, there's a child present."

"I'm not a child," Yuffie groused. "I'm a lovely young lady." She paused. "Or I will be."

Snow laughed and came over to set the plate of sandwiches on Serah's table. "Isn't that just sweet?" He nodded at the sandwiches. "I picked these up from a friend of mine looking to set up a saloon in town. I was wondering if maybe you're a bit hungry?"

Serah looked at the sandwiches closely. They looked mighty tempting, especially when she put them up next to her muesli. "Well, it would be rude of me to refuse such a kind offer, Mr Villiers." She inclined her head. "I'm much obliged."

"Don't mention it," Snow replied. "Besides, it's the least I can do. That tip you gave me about good land looks to be spot on." He smiled softly. "And really, you can just call me Snow."

Serah felt her stomach do another flip flop that had nothing to do with hunger and everything to do with how warm Snow's smile was. "I'm afraid that just wouldn't be proper, Mr Villiers. I don't think I know you quite well enough for that." Although, she thought, giggling inwardly, she wouldn't mind getting to know him better – in a strictly proper way of course.

"Well, why don't we talk a little then? I figure good food is even better with good company and it looks like you've got time for a chat or two." Snow glanced around the empty schoolroom.

Serah nodded slowly. "I guess I could talk for a bit." She looked at Yuffie and the porridge she had. "You don't mind her maybe having a bite to eat too, do you?"

Snow grinned. "Nah. I like kids myself, been thinking of settling down lately, but I just can't seem to find the right woman." His eyes were on her the whole time as he was speaking, and Serah felt her heart skip along like a hummingbird. He picked a sandwich up and passed it to Yuffie. "Here, kid, why don't you get started?"

"Thanks!" Yuffie said as she grabbed the sandwich and Serah watched with quiet awe as the little girl practically inhaled it. Just how Yuffie could eat like that and still remain so little she wasn't sure.

"Hey, slow down there, kid," Snow said. "There's plenty more."

Yuffie looked up at him. "People keep calling me short. How'd you get so tall?"

Serah laughed. "Yuffie, that's not very polite."

Snow just waved Serah's concerns away and leaned down to whisper into Yuffie's ear. "The secret is to drink lots of milk."

Yuffie's eyes widened. "Really?"

Snow nodded. "Yep, that's it."

Serah covered her mouth with one hand as she took in the completely serious look on Yuffie's face. She wouldn't be surprised if the very next day the girl turned up with a big jar of milk to drink, because Yuffie was never one to do things in halves. It was like the week the girl had decided that she was going to be a sheriff. For the entire week, Yuffie had walked around dressed like Lightning and with a right funny look on her face that Serah supposed was Yuffie's attempt to copy Lightning's famous glare.

"So how's teaching suiting you?" Snow asked.

Serah took a moment to pick out a sandwich and then replied. "It's quite something, and I do enjoy it. It's just that sometimes…" she trailed off, her eyes moving to the window where she could see two of the kids, Squall and Seifer rolling on the ground, fists flying.

Snow followed her look and chuckled. "I see what you mean. Think we should go out there and split them up?"

Serah shook her head. "They'll be just fine." And sure enough, a moment later, one of the shopkeepers came by with a bucket of water and doused the squabbling children. "So how about you, Mr Villiers, how's farming life?"

Snow scratched the back of his head. "It's a tad tougher than I thought it might be, but I'm getting the gist of things and me and my friends should be set to get some crops planted soon enough." He tapped his hat. "We're doing better when it comes to cattle though. We've already got a pen fixed up and some good stock in. I figure I can raise them bigger and better in one place than running them ragged out on the range."

Serah nodded. "I've heard some folks saying that might be the way to do things. You given any thought to raising sheep too? Wool comes in mighty handy come winter, and they're pretty tame and easy to look after."

Snow smiled broadly. "Why that's a fine idea." He paused for a moment and then laughed. "Well, what do you know, it seems like I'll be getting a lesson after all."

They spent the next forty or so minutes just talking and Serah barely even noticed the time roll past, or the fact that they'd both stopped eating sandwiches so they could keep on talking. Of course, Yuffie did notice, and the little girl was more than happy enough to pick up the slack, wolfing the sandwiches down and even putting a couple in her pockets for later. She was especially careful with the mayonnaise sandwich. She was dead certain it would look just great in Vincent's hair.

"Will you look at the time," Serah said as she glanced over at the clock. "I've got to get a start on things for when the children come back."

Snow stood. "It's been mighty nice talking with you Ms Farron. You should drop by my place some time, I could show you round the place and you could maybe tell me a little bit more about what I should be doing." He grinned.

"Maybe I will. It does sound quite nice, Mr Villiers," Serah said.

Snow shook his head. "Well now, we've been talking right on forty minutes, Ms Farron. I figure you could call me Snow by now."

Serah looked away. "I guess I could, Mr… I mean, Snow."

Snow walked over to the door and sketched a bow. "I'll be seeing you later then, Ms Farron."

"Wait!" Serah said, a little bit too loudly. "Um… if I'm to call you Snow, why don't you call me Serah?"

Snow put his hat back on and gave Serah a roguish grin. "In that case, I'll see you later… Serah." He paused and then smiled at Yuffie. "And of course, you too, little lady."

As the children filed back in for class, Serah barely noticed the fact that Tidus was still covered with mud, or that Squall and Seifer were dripping onto the floor. Nor did she notice Yuffie reaching into her pocket for the sandwich she'd saved just for Vincent. All she could think about was how wonderfully quick lunch had gone by. Speaking to Snow, it seemed like each moment just whistled past, nice and natural, almost like it was meant to be. And big as he was, she never felt like he might hurt her, just the opposite, she felt safe, like he'd look out for her no matter what.

"Snow," she whispered softly, "Snow Villiers." It was funny, she thought, how much the name suited that blonde hair of his. But then again, his smile was so much warmer than snow could ever be.

"Take that, Vinnie!"

Serah snapped back to the present just in time to see Yuffie mash the mayonnaise sandwich into Vincent's hair. The boy let loose a kind of strangled squeak and turned to look at Yuffie with murder in his eyes.

Well, the peace was good while it lasted, Serah thought as she did her best to calm Vincent down. That was no small task either, what with him chasing Yuffie around the room with a dictionary in hand. Then her eyes flicked back onto her table and she paused mid-step, deep in thought. Snow had left his plate behind. A slow smile crossed her face. The only polite thing to do would be to return it. Yes, she thought, the only right thing to do would be to go return it to him in person.

When she turned back to Vincent and Yuffie, there was a big smile on her face. The smile remained there even after Yuffie added a ham and cheese sandwich to the mess already in Vincent's hair.

X X X

**Author's Notes**

First of all, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off this.

I thought it would be nice to have a little bit of insight into just what Serah is up against teaching out in the West. Originally, I was just going to have "normal" children in her class, but after a bit of thinking, I decided to slip some references to previous Final Fantasy games in. The thought of a little Yuffie picking fights with a little Vincent is something that I find extremely funny. For those of you not familiar with the names, Tidus and Yuna are from FF X, Seifer and Squall are from FF VIII, and Yuffie and Vincent are from FF VII.

As always, I appreciate your feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	9. Chapter 9

**Around the Campfire**

"Damn it, Vanille, will you give it a rest?" Fang growled.

Vanille grinned and poked Fang's jaw again. The taller woman flinched and gave her a look that would have had most people quaking in their boots. Problem was, Vanille wasn't most people. Besides, it wasn't often someone got the jump on Fang, let alone managed to rough her up some. "Aw, come on, Fang. You have to admit, your jaw does look kind of funny – it's all purple looking."

"I know that!" Fang slapped Vanille's hands away. "It hurts too, so if you want to keep those hands of yours, you'd better keep them to yourself."

Vanille's grin widened. For all the tough talk, they both knew that Fang would never do something like that to her. "No, I don't think I will." She poked Fang's jaw again and giggled. "This is the most fun I've had in weeks, except for maybe breaking that chair over Nabaat's back. That's pretty hard to pass."

"You know, Vanille, I'd shoot you, but I like you too much." Fang drew in a deep breath and caught Vanille's hands in her own. "But so help me, if you don't stop poking me, I'll put you over my knee right now and tan your backside."

Vanille was about to laugh, but then she caught the look in Fang's eyes. If Fang had been glaring at her, she'd have called the bluff, but right now, Fang was almost grinning and Vanille knew from past experience that a grinning Fang meant trouble. Smiling a mite nervously, she pulled her hands away from Fang. "Well, I guess I could stop." And she really would have, but then Fang gave her that smug look and she knew she couldn't let things stop there. "Want me to put more salve on the bruises, or maybe something else? I picked some stuff up in town that we could cover it up with." She reached over into her saddle roll and pulled out a small jar.

Fang's eyes widened. "Make up? What in blazes are you doing with make up?"

Vanille huffed. "A girl should be able to look her best if she wants. How else am I supposed to blend in when I hit the town?"

"Hit the town?" Fang glowered. "You're supposed to be picking up supplies when you're in town, you know that, Vanille."

"And I do." Vanille waved the jar of make up around like a weapon. "And it's not like you don't have fun while I'm in town in some ugly wig. I deserve to have some fun!"

Fang's eye twitched and her gaze sharpened. "Fun? The last time we were in town, Vanille, I was getting punched in the face. Repeatedly."

Vanille had to hold back a laugh at the look on Fang's face. Honestly, Fang had a knack for smirks and teasing, but it had been a long while since someone had stood up to her, and even longer since someone had come after her with enough guts and skill to really work her over. "Yep, Fang, that sheriff really beat you up good."

"She did not beat me up!" Fang growled.

"That so?" Vanille chortled. "I seem to remember a certain somebody getting punched in the face a fair bit."

"Yeah, well who had a gun to the damn marshal's back and still got jumped?" Fang asked as Vanille felt a flush spread across her cheeks.

"Well, pardon me for getting distracted," Vanille replied as she waved threw her hands up in the air in frustration. "Kind of hard to keep on my toes, what with you and the sheriff getting all friendly like."

"I had things under control," Fang shot back. "I knew what I was doing."

"Not from where I was standing." Vanille shook one small fist at Fang. "Seemed to me like you were hitting on her pretty strong, only she hit back even stronger."

Fang was about to reply when there was a rustle from the bushes around their camp. Had someone managed to follow their trail? She signalled for Vanille to act like everything was normal and crept around behind the bushes. There was a man there, a pretty big one too, with blonde hair. Quickly, she checked to see if there was anyone else. No, he was alone, which meant good news for her and Vanille and trouble for him.

"That's about far enough," Fang said. "Now, how about you go stand up and take a seat by the campfire." He looked like he wanted to say something, but Fang shifted her hand just far enough to let the moonlight play off the barrel of her gun. He shut his mouth pretty quickly after that.

"So, stranger, care to tell us what you're doing sneaking up on us?" Fang said as she made him sit across the campfire from Vanille. True to form, the little red head already had her shotgun out and trained squarely on the man's chest.

He laughed nervously and Fang got the feeling this wasn't the first time he'd found himself in an awkward situation. He also didn't seem to be too surprised that it was a woman pointing a gun at him. "Well, I have a place around here. My damn fence broke and some of my cattle wandered off. I've been looking for them since late this afternoon I figured they might have headed this way, what with the river and all."

Fang looked him over for any signs of lying and found none. Whoever this stranger was, he seemed honest enough and while he had a gun at his side, he wore it in a way that left little doubt in her mind that he wasn't much accustomed to using it. The strap on the holster was still on, which meant that just to get his gun free, he'd have to unbuckle it. She nodded. If he tried anything, she'd have him down before he even cleared the holster. Best of all though, she thought, he didn't seem to recognise her or Vanille. She smirked. This could be fun.

"You got a name stranger?" Fang asked.

"Mind taking the gun off me first?" he asked before Fang glared. "I mean… uh… please?"

Vanille giggled and at Fang's nod, lowered her shotgun. "Well," Vanille said, "A girl can't be too careful around these parts. After all, who knows what kind of riff raff might be wandering around at night?"

Fang snickered. Riff raff? Hell, they were the riff raff. She lowered her gun. "So, stranger, that name of yours?"

The man smiled. "Snow Villiers. Nice to meet you two."

"Well it's nice to meet you too, Snow." Vanille smiled. "I'm…" she paused for a moment in thought. "I'm Thelma and this here." She pointed to Fang. "This here's Louise."

"Thelma and Louise, huh?" Snow grinned. "What are two ladies like you doing out here?"

"We're just passing through," Fang said.

"That so?" Snow rubbed his hands together and placed them closer to the campfire. "You should be careful out here. There're some people around these parts who can be a little quick to pull the trigger if you wander onto their patch of land."

"Really?" Fang asked. "Mind explaining that a little?"

Snow shrugged. "I'm new out here, got a place of my own just a little while ago." He pursed his lips. "My place runs right to the river so I've got a fair few neighbours. Most of them are pretty nice, but those Cocoon fellows are pretty grim."

"Cocoon, you say." Fang's eyes narrowed a fraction and she saw Vanille tense just a little. "I didn't know they had a place out near Bodhum just yet." She was careful to keep her voice even. Her source had mentioned that Cocoon was sniffing around Bodhum, but he hadn't said anything about them owning any property there just yet. That would explain why there were supposed to be Cocoon employees on that stagecoach, although it didn't explain how Jihl had known she'd be hitting the stagecoach. Either her source had set her up, or someone was on to him. She still wasn't sure which one it was, and wouldn't be until she'd had time to look into it more, but there was something just a little bit unsettling about a grown man who liked to keep a stuffed cat around.

Snow shrugged. "I didn't know about it either, at least, not until I got my claim filed. Seems Cocoon owns a fair stretch of land, right where the river hits the hills." Snow paused and shook his head. "I wanted to have a look over there, actually, but they've got patrols going all hours and they aren't too keen on anyone getting close. Far as I can tell though, they aren't running any cattle or planting any crops." He paused and looked into the campfire. "It looks mighty suspicious and I've heard a bit of talk saying they might have struck gold or some such. It certainly would explain things."

Fang and Vanille exchanged a look. They both knew what Cocoon would do to protect their business.

"I guess they're worried about things going bad again," Snow said. "I remember hearing some things about some other place… Oerba or something like that. Heard some nasty stuff…" Snow trailed off as Louise's eyes bored into his. Despite the difference in size, he suddenly found himself feeling awfully small.

"You seem to know an awful lot about Cocoon, Snow," Fang said slowly. "You work for them or something?"

Snow swallowed. They weren't pointing guns at him right now, but the way Louise was looking at him was just as bad. Those green eyes of hers were flashing like green lightning and her jaw had gone all tight. The big splotch of purple along her jaw line just made her seem scarier. Thelma was also looking at him now too, not as scary as Louise, but plenty scary for someone so small. What exactly what he said to make them both so angry? At least with Lightning, he knew why she wanted to put a bullet in him

"Or something, I guess," Snow said at last. "I was a stockman… I ran cattle for them a couple of times, mostly for old man Barthandelus at that big ranch of his." To his relief, the two women relaxed.

"A stockman?" Fang grinned as a thought occurred to her. She and Vanile hadn't ever been able to get too close to Barthandelus. The old man was too sharp to anywhere without some pretty heavy security and his people were always on the lookout for them. But Snow had worked at the ranch, and from what she'd heard, Barthandelus liked to stay at the place. "Say, Snow, what was that ranch of his like?"

"Well, it was pretty big. The old man definitely didn't do things halfway."

"I meant the set up," Fang said. "Thelma and I were thinking of maybe trying to get some work out that way and I figured knowing how things were run might give us an edge or two."

"That so?" Snow was a little puzzled by the sudden change in attitude, but didn't give it much thought. People could be pretty strange at times, and these two weren't the strangest he'd met, not by a long shot. "Well, out there, this was how things worked…"

Fang listened closely for the next half hour or so as Snow explained how things at the ranch worked. It was good stuff too. Snow didn't really know everything, but he had a pretty good handle of where all the major buildings were and what sort of people tended to be around, as well as their numbers. It might not have been up to date – fellows like Barthandelus were too crafty to leave their security the same way for long – but it gave her some idea of what she and Vanille were up against.

"That's some good information," Fang said.

Snow grinned. "I don't mind sharing. It didn't cost me a thing and I don't plan on going back there anyway."

"Oh?" Vanille thought she heard a kind of wistful tone to Snow's voice. "Is that cause you've got your own place now?"

"A bit." Snow felt his lips tug up into a smile. "But I've got my eye on someone too."

Vanille giggled and Fang rolled her eyes. "What's she like, Snow?"

"Well, she's got the nicest looking hair. It's pink, just like when you see the sun coming up in the morning, and she's got these blue eyes like you wouldn't believe." Snow sighed.

Fang's jaw nearly dropped. This man had his eyes on Lightning? From what little she knew of the other woman – and most of that consisted of rumours and bruises – she somehow doubted Snow would have much luck. Unable to stop herself, and already picturing Snow going down in either a hail of bullets or punches, she started to snicker before ending up on the ground, curled up in laughter.

Vanille shot Fang a dirty look. "Don't laugh at him. I think it's romantic that he has someone he likes even if she is a bit…. well… uh…"

Fang managed to sit up again, still sniggering. "Yeah, sure. But really, Sheriff Farron?" She slapped Snow on the back. "Good luck, Snow, but I don't think you'll have much luck with Lightning."

"Huh?" Snow's eyes widened before his mouth formed a perfect 'O' of utter horror. They thought he was after Lighting. Just the thought of what the pink-haired sheriff would do to him if he ever tried to get sweet with her was enough to make him woozy. If he was lucky, she'd just shoot him dead. Most likely, she'd come up with something worse. "No, you got it all wrong." He waved his hands in the air. "I'm not after Lightning. I'm after Serah."

"Serah?" Fang asked. Just how many people could there be wandering around with pink hair and blue eyes?

"Yeah, Serah." Snow's expression softened. "She's Lightning's sister. She's a bit younger, but a lot less scary. She runs the school down in Bodhum. She's pretty tough though. Some of those youngsters are pretty tricky."

Fang chuckled. She remembered just what a handful she and Vanille had been growing up. "So, how's the sheriff taking it?"

Snow shuddered. "She's don't like me much." He sighed. "At least she hasn't shot me… yet."

Vanille smiled. "Just stick with it, Snow!"

Snow nodded and then stood. "It's been mighty nice talking to you two. But I've got to get going. I've still got those cattle to find. It might not be winter yet, but the nights can get pretty cold."

"Get going then." Fang pointed off toward where the river was. "I think I saw some tracks back that way a few hours ago. You might want to take a look."

"Thanks."

Fang waited till Snow was gone before she turned to Vanille with a smirk. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

Vanille lifted her shotgun and smirked back. "Yeah, why don't we go pay those Cocoon folks a visit?"

X X X

**Author's Notes**

First of all, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off this.

Here we are again. I thought it would be nice to have Snow meet Fang and Vanille, and naturally, I couldn't make it too easy for him. As for the whole Thelma and Louise thing, I just couldn't help myself. By the way, who do you think Fang's source is? I also have to admit, I liked writing Vanille in this chapter. I figure she's one of only a few people who could get away with teasing Fang. As for the whole Serah/Lightning mix up thing, I knew I had to slip that in somewhere. Also, I've noted that I have this strange tendency to keep using a Western tone in my Author's Notes. Hmm.

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	10. Chapter 10

**Two Bartenders and a Flower Girl**

Lebreau gave a low whistle of appreciation as she eyed the inside of her new saloon. She really had to hand it these Bodhum folks. They sure could get things knocked together in a hurry. And the work was first rate too, she thought, running one hand along the smooth, polished wood of the bar. Yep, she could definitely get used to calling this place hers.

"Looks like everything's just about done."

She turned and grinned at Snow. "Just about." She looked over at the rest of their little group who were slouched at a couple of the tables with some sandwiches in front of them, along with a couple of bottles of whiskey. "All I need now is some people to help me run the place."

To her disgust, the whole lot of them did their best to look busy with their sandwiches. It was almost enough to have her reach over for the shotgun she kept stashed below the bar like any good bartender. Honestly, those boys of hers, always ready to swing by to grab a bite to eat, but never too willing to help. Even Snow, who could usually be counted on to lend a hand every now and then was too busy with that new farm of his to be much use.

"Why don't you hire some people?" Snow asked. "There have got to be some folks around here that could use the work, and if you ask around, I'm sure you'll be able to figure who to steer clear of."

Lebreau pursed her lips. Snow's idea wasn't half bad. Hiring some folks from around town would also help spread the word. After all, there already was a saloon in town, and even if it wasn't worth a damn, nobody would toddle over to hers unless they actually knew it existed. "You know, Snow, that's not a bad idea." She smirked and looked over at the rest of the group. "As for you fellows, you better start making yourselves useful or I'll start charging you for all the food you eat!" A chorus of groans met her words and she chuckled. "Oh, stop your bellyaching."

So Lebreau took Snow's advice and over the next few days she had a couple of help wanted posters put up around town. To tell the truth, she wasn't expecting too much, what with her and the others being pretty new in town. She was pretty surprised then, when she got about a dozen responses. Out of them, she ruled six out straight away. They seemed to be the seedy sort, mostly out to make a quick gil, and a quiet word or two around town was enough to confirm her thinking. It didn't help either that some of them had spent almost all their time talking to her chest instead of her face.

Out of the ones that were left, there were two that stood out, even if they were a bit young. So she called them back around to poke around a little more, see where they stood, and if they were up to her standard. If they weren't, then she'd have to keep looking, and she was getting mighty impatient to open, because getting the whole saloon set up hadn't exactly been cheap.

The first of them came into the saloon just before dusk and Lebreau took a moment to look the young woman over. She looked to be about eighteen, with long black hair, and wine-coloured eyes. She had a good figure too, with long legs and a chest that probably drew more than a glance or two.

"Care for a drink, Miss Lockhart?" Lebreau called out from behind the bar as she beckoned the young woman over to take a stool across from her.

The young woman sat down across from Lebreau and shook her head. "Thanks, but I prefer to serve the drinks, not drink them." She smiled. "And call me Tifa."

"Tifa then." Lebreau put the drink away and poured them each a glass of water. "That's a good attitude to have, and at least I won't have to worry about you sampling the bar if I hire you." Lebreau chuckled. "But still, there's nothing wrong with a drink or two every now and then." She thought back to some of the fool things her boys got up to and shook her head. "Yes, there are times when it's just about criminal not to have a drink."

Tifa smiled nervously. "I'll keep that in mind, Miss Lebreau."

"Don't bother with all that Miss Lebreau stuff, just make it Lebreau." Lebreau's gaze sharpened a fraction. "Now lets get right down to business, Tifa. I'm looking to hire you on, but I can't promise to keep you on without seeing you in action." She gestured at all the bottles behind the bar. "You think you can keep track of all that?"

Tifa punched her left palm with her right fist and grinned. "You bet."

A sly grin came on to Lebreau's face as she looked at Tifa's gloves. She hadn't really paid much attention to them before, but now, up close, she could see them properly. They were black leather and only went up to the wrists. More interesting though, was the wear and tear on them. It was almost all around the knuckles and as far as Lebreau knew, there was only one way that gloves got worn down like that. Fisticuffs. Oh yes, she was liking Tifa more and more.

"One last thing, Tifa, can you cook?" Lebreau asked.

Tifa nodded. "I can cook just fine. Fact is, I've been cooking for my father and me since I was ten."

There was a knock on the door and the two of them turned. Lebreau smiled. It looked like her other would-be helper was here.

"I hope I'm not interrupting." The speaker was about the same age as Tifa with long brown hair and gentle emerald eyes. She was dressed in a pink dress and jacket, and with the warm smile on her face, she all but radiated an aura of friendliness.

"No, you're not interrupting," Lebreau said. "Grab a seat Miss Gainsborough." She saw the look on Aerith's face and smirked. "Or should I just call you Aerith?"

Aerith smiled. "That would be lovely." She sat beside Tifa.

"Here, have a drink." Lebreau poured Aerith a tall glass of whiskey and grinned as the brunette paled.

"Do I… have to drink this?" Aerith asked. She didn't have much tolerance to speak of and she didn't think that getting drunk on the job would make too good a first impression.

Lebreau laughed. "I'm just kidding around. You don't have to drink that." She drained the glass in one go. "See, no problem. Now, Aerith, I don't suppose you know too much about drinks."

Aerith eyed the wall of bottles behind the bar and grimaced. "Not too much I'm afraid."

Lebreau pursed her lips. "I see… that shouldn't be too much of a problem so long as Tifa here really does know her drinks. But you better be able to cook something fierce then, Aerith."

"That I can do!" Aerith clapped her hands together. "I can guarantee that I'll be just fine with the cooking."

"I hope so." Lebreau pushed away from the bar. "You two can consider yourselves hired. Put on a good show during opening night and I'll keep you on. Make a mess of things and I'll not be too happy." Lebreau reached under the bar and placed the shotgun on the bar. "Catch my drift?"

From the looks on Tifa and Aerith's faces, they most certainly did.

Opening night for the saloon rolled around and Lebreau wasn't too surprised to find quite a crowd gathered up front. It seemed that both Aerith and Tifa were pretty popular with the folks around town, especially the young men, and word had gotten round. It didn't hurt either, that all three of them were pretty good in the kitchen.

"You ready, girls?" Lebreau asked as she took one last look out the window. Aerith and Tifa nodded. "Remember, I've got the bar and Tifa's got the tables. Aerith, you're in the kitchen. Anything goes wrong you holler." She chuckled. "Good, now let's get this saloon going."

Things got hectic from the moment the saloon opened. Lebreau had her hands full at the bar juggling orders, especially since a couple of the customers thought they'd test her to see if she could keep up. Well, she'd kept the bar over in Midgar Town and it'd take more than a couple of troublesome drunks to put her off.

As for Tifa, the girl was doing well, Lebreau thought. She'd taken down at least fifty or so orders over the last couple of hours and hadn't made a mistake even once, either with what was in the order, or who had made it, almost dancing through the crowd as she carried food and drinks over to the proper tables. Aerith was impressive too, what with the kitchen going at full speed, with as many as four dishes cooking at the same time. Yep, Lebreau thought, she'd definitely chosen well.

However, as the night wore on, some of the customers started to get a bit rowdy and Lebreau began to wonder if she'd have to break the shotgun out. Not that she was actually planning to shoot anybody, but a few blasts into the air or out the window did tend to settle people down pretty well.

Things got tricky when one of the local fellows decided to reach over and put his hand on Tifa's backside as she was leaning over to place his order on the table. Then he squeezed. A funny sort of silence fell over the saloon as all eyes turned to Tifa to see what she would do. Lebreau met the younger woman's eyes.

Lebreau glanced down to where the shotgun was hidden under the bar and then at the man with his hand on Tifa's backside. The message was pretty clear: do you want me to fill him full of holes?

Tifa shook her head and smiled. Then, still smiling, she picked up the plate of food she'd just laid out on the table and dumped it over the man's head. The food was still piping hot and he let out an awful yell just before Tifa lunged forward and caught him square in the jaw with a vicious uppercut that actually lifted him off his feet.

The man hung in the air for a moment and then tumbled to the ground. His friends at the table just stared for a moment before one of them dragged the barely conscious man to his feet.

"What do you think you're doing?" one of them growled at Tifa as he reached out to put a hand around her arm.

Her response was ruthless. She ducked inside the outstretched arm and drove the heel of her palm into the man's chin. His head jerked back and she grabbed his arm and flung him to the ground. The others recovered from their shock and closed in on her, but Tifa was ready, striking out quick and sharp with first her fists and then her feet. She dropped the last man with a leaping kick that actually brought no small amount of applause from the rest of the saloon. Finally, a weak attempt by one of the others to get back up was thwarted by a finely aimed plate thrown by Aerith who had come out from the kitchen to watch.

"Well folks," Lebreau said as a couple of the other customers gleefully dragged the downed men to the doors of the saloon and then pitched them out onto the street. "I think it'd be a mighty good idea for everyone to just keep their hands to themselves." And with that the saloon returned to normal, Tifa cleaning up the table so that some other customers could take a seat.

"I hope I didn't cause too much trouble," Tifa said as she came over to the bar. "I can pay for the plate too. It broke when I dumped the food over his head."

Lebreau grinned. "Don't worry about it. Fact is, I like having someone on board who can look after herself." She glanced back at the kitchen. "I don't suppose Aerith can handle herself like you."

Tifa giggled. "Not exactly, although as you saw, she's not bad with a plate. Truth is, she's even better with a skillet or a spatula. Trust me, I know."

"Well, I'll take your word for it," Lebreau said. "Now, get back to work. We've got a couple of hours yet till we close." As Tifa was walking away, Lebreau raised her voice into a shout so that everyone in the saloon and the kitchen could hear her. "By the way, Tifa, Aerith, you two can consider yourselves hired good and proper."

A cheer met the announcement and Lebreau grinned, looking over the full saloon. Business was good and she had a feeling it was only going to get better.

X X X

**Author's Notes**

First of all, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off this.

I was in the mood to have a bit of fun, so I thought it'd be nice to let Lebreau get her saloon up and running, because really, what kind of Western town doesn't have a good saloon? In any case, once I decided on that, I had to work out who her helpers would be, because there's no way that she can run a saloon on her own. For those of you who aren't aware of it, Tifa and Aerith are both from FF VII (Tifa actually runs a bar so I can't imagine she'd have too much trouble handling working in a saloon). Note that unlike Vincent and Yuffie who are much younger than in FF VII, Tifa and Aerith are much more similar to their FF VII ages. Do let me know if their inclusion fills you with horror.

As an aside, I've noticed that I haven't really referred to FF IX at all. For those of you who are waiting for me to do so, I'm probably not going to. For various reasons, I never really got around to playing it, so I'm not really in a position to work any of the characters in.

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	11. Chapter 11

**Lightning Strikes Twice**

Hope peered down at the gun in the display case. It was a real beauty, all polished steel with chrome plates along the grip and a long, slim barrel. It almost seemed to shine as he looked at, and he could feel his hands itching just to hold it. From what he could tell, it was a restored Balamb Classic, something he'd never seen before, at least, not in working order. And the price tag wasn't half bad either at only fifty dollars. Sure, that was more money than he'd ever held in his hands before, but it was pretty much a bargain for a fine old gun like that.

"A real Balamb Classic," Hope breathed. "Wow."

"I wouldn't think too much about getting that, if I were you. The Balamb Classic tends to jam once it gets old, even if you do work to get it restored."

Hope's eyes widened. That was Lightning's voice. With a smile on his face, he turned to the door of the shop and then stopped and stared. Lightning had gotten shorter, a lot shorter. In fact, she looked all of maybe seven or eight years old. "Uh… is that you, Lightning?" Hope asked, feeling right foolish. "You seem… uh… different."

"Different?" There was Lightning's voice, only now that Hope thought about it, it wasn't coming from the door of the shop, but from behind one of the shelves alongside it. Sure enough, Lightning emerged a second later, slim and easy in her grey coat, the familiar gold-plated star on her chest.

Hope tilted his head to the side. Unless he'd taken an awful knock to the head, he was pretty sure there were two Lightnings in front of him. One of them was the usual size and the other was a good deal smaller.

"You all right there, Hope? You're staring something fierce," Lightning said.

"Maybe he's just strange," the little Lightning said. "Maybe you should arrest him!"

Arrest him? Hope rubbed his eyes and squinted at the little Lightning. Well, her voice was certainly different, and now that he looked, really looked, the little Lightning was different in other ways too. For one, her eyes weren't the same electric blue as Lightning's. They were grey. Her hair was a brighter pink than Lightning's too, a showy, flashy kind of pink.

"Who is that?" Hope blurted, before he realised how much a fool he sounded. "I mean, who is that standing right there next to you, Lightning?"

Lightning sighed and Hope thought it was a very tired sort of sigh, like she hadn't had too much sleep the last couple of days. Then she reached down and put one hand on the little Lightning's hair and pulled. The hair came off – it was a wig, Hope realised – to reveal that the little Lightning actually had black hair. "This here is Yuffie Kisaragi."

"That right?" Hope was getting a bit tired of sounding like a fool, but his head didn't seem to want to work too well. "Why is she dressed like that? She looks, well, she looks just like you." And she did. Everything Yuffie wore looked like a smaller version of what Lightning wore, the girl even had a red scarf like Lightning, although given how short she was, it looked more like a cape than a scarf. "And why are you in Midgar Town?"

Lightning put the wig back on Yuffie's head, the girl giggling as she adjusted it to sit just right on her head. "There are some things you just can't get back in Bodhum, so people usually order them in and have them taken out to Bodhum via stagecoach. There's a fair few orders this time though, enough, actually, that I decided to come over and escort them back in case there's trouble." She glanced down at Yuffie who had drawn a wooden gun and pointed it at Hope. "This one decided to tag along."

Yuffie pretended to squeeze off a few rounds at Hope and grinned widely. "Miss Farron said we had to learn all about what we wanted to be when we grew up. I want to be a sheriff so I got to tag along!" Yuffie struck what Hope figured she thought was a scary pose and tried to glare at him. "When I grow up, I'm going to be a deputy with Lightning! They'll call me the great gunslinger Yuffie!"

Hope felt a chill run down his spine and felt, for some reason, like he was being threatened.

"Serah thought it would be cute for Yuffie to tag along dressed like that," Lightning said. "As for why Yuffie had a costume like that in the first place, don't ask me, I've got no idea."

"Aerith and Tifa helped me make it and I stole the scarf from Vinnie!" Yuffie grinned.

"So anyway, Hope, were you looking at that old Balamb Classic?" Lightning asked as she strode over to the racks of guns along the wall. Yuffie trailed behind her, one hand latched onto Lightning's coat, her eyes wide as she looked about at all the guns.

Hope followed Lightning. "I wasn't going to buy it – even at fifty dollars, it's much too pricey for me, and even if I did have the money, father would throw one mighty fit if I picked it up."

"That's fair enough." Lightning stopped to examine a shotgun. "But if you ever do get round to buying a gun, Hope, you'd best steer clear of it. Like I said, they tend to jam something awful once they get old, even if they are restored. If you want a gun like that, your best bet is to find a good gunsmith and have them fix you up a new one based on the design."

"I'll remember that," Hope said. "So why are you in this store? You looking for a gun?"

Lightning shrugged and pulled Yuffie away from a pretty rugged looking pistol. Honestly, it was one thing to have the guns on racks for customers to examine, quite another to have them at a height that even a short kid like Yuffie could reach. "I've come to pick up some supplies. I do a fair bit of shooting and bullets don't make themselves." She frowned and thought back to her little run in with the Bahamut Bandit. "There's been some trouble too, around Bodhum, and my shotgun and rifle are getting a bit old. I figure now would be a good time to get something new."

"What do you mean trouble?" Hope asked. Lightning wasn't his only friend over in Bodhum, there was her sister, Serah, and if he remembered right, that Snow fellow lived near there too. "What happened?"

Lightning studied the rack of guns intently. She could almost see the sly grin on that damn bandit's face. It made her want to shoot something. "I had a little run in with the Bahamut Bandit and Vanille the Kid."

"Wow!" Hope said. "What happened? Did you beat them? Did you shoot them or –"

"She beat them up!" Yuffie shouted, almost like she couldn't imagine Lightning losing a fight.

"I'd rather not talk too much about it, actually, official business and all," Lightning said. The memory was still a little fresh, and the fact that they'd gotten away – never mind that it hadn't been her fault and that she'd slugged the Bahamut Bandit a good couple of times – still grated on her nerves. Next time, she'd be ready for them and if that bandit tried to get sweet with her again, then so help her, she'd hit her twice as hard as last time.

"Oh," both Hope and Yuffie said at almost the same time.

"Can I give these a try?" Lightning shouted to the storekeeper who was behind the counter at the back of the store.

The storekeeper shouted back, "Take your time, sheriff. I've got a firing range out back you could use if you want to give them a go."

"I'd appreciate that." Lightning turned back to Hope. "So, Hope, where's that father of yours?"

"He's got some business in town, looking to cut a few deals, I reckon. I've got time to kill right through to sundown." Hope smiled weakly. "Mind if I tag along?" Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Yuffie shoot him an angry look but did his best to ignore it. She was just a kid, after all.

Lightning nodded. "I don't see why not." She turned back to the racks of guns. "Now you two can help me look. Remember, I'm after a shotgun and a rifle."

She'd hardly spoken when Yuffie ran over to one of the other racks and pointed up at a shotgun. "Get this one, Lightning!"

Lightning looked over at the shotgun and frowned faintly. The shotgun Yuffie was pointing at was right in the middle of the rack and not really all that much to look at, but she'd gone straight to it. That meant she probably knew what it was, and Lightning wasn't sure whether she should be worried or pleased that the little girl knew so much about guns.

"That's not a bad choice, actually." She patted Yuffie on the head and then looked back at Hope. "Know what it's called?"

Hope grinned. He knew this one. "It's a –"

"It's a Nibelheim Break-Action!" Yuffie shouted.

"That's right, Yuffie, but you shouldn't yell." Lightning hardened her gaze a fraction. "Besides, Hope was talking, and you should have let him finish."

Yuffie looked away. "Well, it's not my fault he's so slow." When Lightning turned away to look at the rifles, the shotgun held in one hand, Yuffie stuck her tongue out at Hope. For his part, Hope just ignored her. A future deputy shouldn't pick fights, even if with smug little kids.

Lightning sighed as she looked through the rifles. Shotguns were all well and good for close up work, but they weren't much use at all beyond maybe forty or fifty yards, and while she was just fine with her pistol at long range, there were times when something with a bit more bite might be good.

If she'd had a good rifle on her when the Bahamut Bandit and Vanille the Kid were running, it wouldn't have mattered much that they'd gotten a head start. Then again, they wouldn't have gotten away in the first place if Nabaat had been even half decent as a marshal. Still, Lightning had a feeling that she'd be seeing more of the two bandits, and if she'd did, well, she'd be ready for them.

"I think this one," Lightning said as she pulled a rifle off the rack. "Do you know what –"

"It's a Galbadia LR!" Hope shouted. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Yuffie pout and he had to bite back a smirk.

Lightning gave him a strange look. Wasn't he a bit old to be yelling like that? "Mind if I take these out back and give them a run through?" she asked the storekeeper.

"Go ahead," the storekeeper replied. "But I'll need a deposit of twenty dollars in case you damage them, and another five dollars for some ammunition."

Lightning went out back with Hope and Yuffie in tow and gave the shooting range a quick look. It wasn't half bad, actually, much better than she'd expected. The gun shop backed out onto an empty plot, so there was plenty of space and not much chance of hitting anyone by accident. There were targets set up in the open space at different distances, mostly circular wooden targets nailed onto poles sunk into the ground. 

"You two keep back," Lightning said. "If you want, you can hold the bullets."

Lightning picked up the shotgun first and took a moment to get used to the weight of it. It had a nice sturdy sort of weight and turning it in her hands, she swung it experimentally. Good. If she had to, she could use it almost like a club without worrying about breaking it. "Hand me some shells, Yuffie."

Lightning snapped the breach of the shotgun open and loaded a couple of shells. The breach closed smoothly and she lifted the shotgun up to her shoulder and aimed it at a target about twenty yards away. She fired. The shotgun kicked sharply against her shoulder and she smiled faintly as the target practically exploded in a shower of wood. It had power all right, and for a shotgun, it seemed pretty accurate. She aimed at another target, this one about forty yards out and fired again. The target shuddered as a whole heap of holes appeared in it.

"Hand me some more shells, Yuffie," Lightning said. For the next few minutes, she ran the shotgun through its pace and finally sure that it would do right by her, she turned to Hope. "Hand me the rifle Hope, and some bullets."

Just as Hope was going to give her the rifle, Lightning felt a tug on her coat.

"Can I try it?" Yuffie asked, eyes on the shotgun.

Lightning stared.

"I'll be really careful and I promise to listen." Yuffie's eyes had gotten all big and her lower lip was jutting out. "Please."

Lightning had to give the kid credit. She certainly knew to look cute, problem was, Lightning had grown up with Serah, and Serah was all kinds of good when it came to looking cute. Growing up, Lightning had needed every scrap of will she had just to say no to Serah, especially, when the younger woman had gotten all teary-eyed and pouty. "No."

Yuffie's gaped for a second, but recovered. "Please," she begged. "Please."

"No, you're too little, Yuffie, maybe when you're older." Lightning had to bite back a wince as she imagined how far the sharp recoil of the shotgun would throw the little girl. She'd probably end up flying through the back window of the store or some such.

"Can I give it a try?" Hope asked. "I'm fourteen now so…"

Lightning shot him down with a single look. "Your father wouldn't take too kindly to me letting you shoot a gun like this without him knowing first. Besides, you're bigger than Yuffie, but you've got a bit more growing yet before you can handle a gun like this right. Odds are you'd pop your shoulder firing it, Hope." She handed him the shotgun and took the rifle. "That said, you can hold it, maybe get a feel for it."

Hope took the shotgun and had to quickly adjust his grip on it. It was heavier than he'd thought, and bulkier too. Raising it up to his shoulder and staring down the barrel at one of the targets, he gulped. Twenty yards seemed pretty far away from this point of view.

"Give me that," Yuffie asked as she went over to Hope. "Let me hold it!"

Hope took one look at the shotgun and then one look at Yuffie. They weren't all that different in size. "No."

Ignoring the bickering behind her – Yuffie apparently hadn't taken too well to being told no – Lightning focused on one of the targets a bit further off. The rifle felt good in her arms and after she'd squeezed off a few rounds, she was pleased to see that it was accurate too.

"Come on you two," Lightning said, taking the shotgun off Hope who had an arm on Yuffie's head to keep her away, "Let's head back inside so that I can pay for these."

All up the price of the two guns, plus ammunition for them and her pistol came to sixty dollars. It might have seemed a bit steep, but Lightning had learned the hard way that when it came to guns, a bargain could easily end up being a tombstone. That left just one more thing for her to do. Lately, her pistol hadn't felt quite as good in her hand as she was used to and she wanted to know if there was a gunsmith around that could take a look at it, and not just any gunsmith either. Her pistol was custom made and she wasn't about to let just anyone take a look at it.

"You two wait outside," Lightning said as she handed Hope several boxes of ammunition to carry. "I'll just be a minute. I've got something I want to ask about."

Outside, Hope adjusted the boxes of ammunition in his arms. They weren't all that heavy, but he felt a little bit foolish carrying so many bullets and shells when he didn't even own a gun himself. It didn't help much either, when a couple of the people passing by stopped and stared before moving on. Of course, their staring might have a bit to do with the little Lightning beside him with a right big frown on her face.

"You want to become her deputy too, don't you?" Yuffie growled.

Hope had to fight not to laugh. For all the fire in Yuffie's eyes, the girl was too little to be more than cute. "Maybe I do," he said. "You got a problem with that?"

Yuffie stomped one foot on the ground. "You're not good enough. I'm going to be her deputy."

Ignoring the spark of anger that shot through him, Hope tried to stay level headed. He was the grown up here. "You're a bit young don't you think, and a bit little too?"

Yuffie's little hands clenched into fists and she marched over to Hope. "I could beat you in a fight!"

Hope tried to hold back a laugh and failed. Yuffie was just a kid, and a short one at that. "I don't think you could."

Yuffie's eyes narrowed and a distinctly Lightning-like look entered her eyes. "I bet I can."

Hope ignored the faint sense of unease he'd started to have. "I don't think you could."

"I can," Yuffie said. And then she kicked him in the shin. Hard.

"Ouch!" Hope shouted as he struggled to keep a hold on the ammunition, no easy task when he was hopping around on one leg. Things got even trickier when Yuffie launched herself at him with a yell, latching onto his back.

"Take this!"

Lightning was deep in thought as she stepped out of the store. There wasn't anyone in Midgar Town who was up to her standards, but the storekeeper knew of a man not too far off who'd been pretty good with guns back in his day. He was supposed to be retired now, but if Lightning knew anything about good gunsmiths, it was that they didn't ever really retire.

However, she was snapped right out of her thoughts, when she saw what Hope and Yuffie had gotten up to. The boxes of ammunition were on the ground and a few feet away were Hope and Yuffie. The girl had her scarf wrapped around Hope's neck and was doing a pretty fine job of strangling him. For his part, Hope was doing his best to try and pry Yuffie off, but the girl was squirming out of his grasp and kicking wildly at anything she could reach.

Calmly, Lightning went over to the pump in front of the store and filled a bucket with water. "That's about enough," she said as she poured the bucket over the pair. As the two of them broke apart, Lightning let her eyes narrow just enough to let them know she wasn't pleased, not one bit. "What do you two think you're doing?"

Yuffie and Hope looked at each other.

"He started it!"

"She started it!"

X X X

**Author's Notes**

First of all, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off this.

This chapter was kind of funny to write, mainly because I had a whole lot of different ideas for what it could be. In the end, I settled for this one, because I wanted to get Hope back into the story, as well as Lightning. I actually quite liked some of the interaction between Hope and Lightning in the game, especially the way he really seems to look up to her, and I thought it would be nice to include some of that here. I also thought it would be nice to see how he'd react to someone with a similar idea.

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	12. Chapter 12

**Turnabout is Fair Play **

Fang waited for the guard to walk past her and then slipped out of the shadows to stand just behind him. A single, sharp blow to the head was all it took to have him crumpled on the ground at her feet. She looked around quickly to make sure no one else had seen before she grabbed him by the ankles and dragged him into the spot she'd been hiding in. It was a couple of hours after dusk and if she hid him right, someone could walk right past without spotting him. That was a good thing too, because the place was just crawling with guards and she wanted enough time to have a good long look around.

She turned her eyes back to the poorly lit road. "Come on, Vanille."

Vanille crept out of the shadows and gave the downed guard a kick in the gut for good measure. Like Fang, she had a handkerchief tied over the lower half of her face and as much ammunition on her as she could carry and still walk. "How long do you think we have?"

"Well, if things play out like they have over the last couple of days, we've got maybe an hour before they catch on," Fang said glad that they'd taken the time to watch things first before going in. Over the last few days, they'd camped just outside the Cocoon place near Bodhum to get a feel for the layout and the patrols. "Now come on, we need to get moving."

There wasn't a whole lot of doubt in Fang's mind that the place was a gold mine, just like Snow had said, and by the looks of it, a pretty big one too. It was little wonder that Cocoon wanted to keep the whole thing hushed up. If anyone else found out, there'd be prospectors all over the place and if there was one thing Cocoon liked, it was a nice, solid little earner like this place.

Up ahead, she caught a glimpse of the next pair of guards and motioned to Vanille. The two of them each took shelter on opposite sides of the road, hidden in the shadows.

"I hate these damn night shifts," one of the guards complained. "There's nothing to do and nothing to look at. It's a damn waste too. No one's crazy enough to mess with Cocoon."

The other guard chuckled. "You got that right. Even that Bahamut Bandit's won't last too much longer. I hear they doubled the bounty on her head after that mess a week or so back where she beat up that marshal and busted out of the sheriff's place in Bodhum. That much cash on the line, I don't think it'll be too long till someone brings her in. Hell, for that much money, that partner of hers should just bring her in herself."

The first guard nodded and grinned. "That's true enough. That Vanille the Kid's bounty isn't even a third of what the Bandit's got on her head." He laughed. "I figure, she can't be too scary on her own."

Hidden in the shadow of a wagon, Fang had to clamp a hand over her mouth. It was right funny how the bounty on Vanille's head was so much smaller than hers. She knew the red head took things like that personally, and the last time Fang had laughed about it, Vanille had given her a pretty mean kick to the shins and then whacked her over the head with a plank of wood. For someone so little, the red head sure could be mighty vicious. Not only that, those guards had given her all the credit for sorting out Nabaat, and that, she knew, would have Vanille all kinds of furious. Hell, if the Cocoon folks knew what Vanille could do when she got mad, they'd do more than triple the bounty, they might just add a zero.

"Hey!" Vanille growled as she stalked out of her hiding place, shotgun in hand and level with the chest of one of the guards. "What do you think you were saying?"

Fang looked up at the sky. And people said she was the short-tempered one.

"I'll have you know, I was the one who beat up that marshal and I'm just as scary as anyone else!" Vanille shouted as Fang hung her head. Could the red head possibly make any more noise?

Right on cue, the two guards finally got their wits back, their eyes as wide as saucers, and almost as one they reached for their guns. Vanille growled and fired once. The shotgun roared and one of the men flew back and smashed right through the wooden wall of a nearby shed. The whole thing came down on him a moment later and dust and broken bits of wood went everywhere.

"How's that?" Vanille asked as she brought the shotgun around to point at the second guard.

However, the guard already had his gun up and he would have had her if Fang hadn't stepped out from behind the wagon and drilled him with a single shot right to the heart. He dropped to the ground stone dead and Fang grabbed Vanille by the scruff of her shirt.

"What do you think you're doing, Vanille?" Fang asked, holstering her pistol so she could grab Vanille with both hands, the shorter woman actually dangling a couple of inches off the ground.

Vanille's eyes flashed green lightning and she glared at Fang. "You heard what they were saying! They were making fun of me! Well, I can be scary too." Vanille's words were a little out of place, what with her legs kicking in the air, and Fang had to bite back a smile. "I mean, I beat up that marshal, didn't I? Besides, we're partners aren't we? So that means we're even and I can be just as scary as you." She continued to flail. "Now put me down, Fang!"

Fang chuckled as Vanille swung the shotgun at her head. "Listen up, Vanille, it don't matter what they think of you, and you shouldn't care, either. Now that you've gone and lost your head, we've probably got a whole heap of guards headed our way."

Right that moment there was a shot and Fang dropped Vanille and the two of them dove for cover in one of the trenches that dotted the area around the mine.

"See?" Fang shouted as she pointed at the big group of guards at the top of the road and headed their way. "See?"

Vanille flushed. "Well, it's not like you've never lost your temper. What about that time you slugged that judge because he got all sweet on you? He was going to tell us all kinds of things about Cocoon that we needed to know and he would have if you just hadn't slugged him."

Another bullet whizzed over their heads along with the roar of what had to be at least three or four shotguns. Wonderful, they had a small army gunning for them.

"That judge was a no good creep," Fang grumbled as she peeked out of the trench and fired. At least the guards were fool enough to stand by the storage sheds where a couple of lamps were set. That meant she and Vanille could see them just fine but they couldn't see her and Vanille, what with the trench being dark and all. "Besides, you saw him, he had no business trying to get those hands of his under my shirt."

Vanille huffed. "Well, you could have slugged him after he'd told us everything, or at least just knocked him around a little instead of knocking him out. Now look where we are!" She peered over the edge of the trench and blazed away with her shotgun. One of the guards flew back, chest blown to bits, and she started reloading. "So what do we do now?"

"Well, see, I had this really great plan where we snuck in and got around all the guards, only a certain someone made sure that it wouldn't exactly work…" Fang grinned as Vanille scowled at her, brows drawn up, and mouth set into a thin line.

"Fang!"

"Fine, fine." Fang looked around. The trench wouldn't keep them safe for long. Eventually, the guards would catch on to things and work their way around to circle them, or maybe a lucky shot would get them. But the trench was pretty close to the buildings. "How about we split up? You go left and high and I go right and low and we meet up where the guards are?"

Vanille nodded slowly. "You mean like that time back in Euride?"

Fang smirked. "That's right."

"Sounds like a plan then," Vanille said. "You going first?"

Fang reloaded her pistol. "Wouldn't dream of doing otherwise."

With that, Fang leapt out of the trench and ran for the buildings on her right. A hail of gunfire went her way and she let loose a wild curse as she dove for the cover of a water trough. At the same time, Vanille popped out of the trench and fired. Another guard went down and she heard Vanille yell something real unladylike as she dropped another and then broke into a run for the buildings on the left side of the street.

Most of the buildings had porches with railings and furniture and Fang did her best to use them for cover as she closed the gap between herself and the guards, firing all the way. It was a good thing that she'd brought as many bullets as she could carry, because the way things were playing out, she'd need every one of them. A shotgun blast tore apart the chair she'd been hiding behind and she sprinted for the next bit of cover. She fired twice along the way and one of the shots hit a guard in the hip, spinning him around before her second struck him in the chest. A savage smile crossed her face. At the very least, this little escapade would be costing Cocoon a pretty penny and plenty of manpower and that was just fine by her.

She was about fifteen yards from the big clump of guards and she was glad now that she'd found something a bit more solid to hide behind. It was a big slab of broken down machinery, probably something they used to help with the mining, but most importantly it was all metal and not flimsy wood like the cover she'd been forced to use up till then. Taking a moment to catch her breath again, she reloaded her pistol and then reached down to draw her second pistol. Normally, she didn't like to use two guns at once because usually one did the job just fine, but at this range, accuracy wouldn't matter so much as the number of bullets she could fill the air with.

"We got you pinned down Bandit, and that partner of yours has run off. You come out now and we'll let you live. You stay holed up back there, we'll shoot you full of holes," one of the guards shouted.

"That so?" Fang shouted back, stalling for time. "Seems to me like you fellows are a bunch of cowards. What are there, ten of you, fifteen maybe, and you still don't have the guts to come and get me yourselves. You probably like to call yourselves men, but from where I'm standing, I think it's plenty clear that I'm up against a bunch of little boys."

That got their attention and she grimaced as another spray of bullets and shotgun fire filled the air. Damn it, what was taking Vanille so long? Even if the machine she was using for cover was all metal and plenty solid, it was starting to fall to bits. And then she heard it, a short sharp whistle, and she felt a grin cross her face. It was about time. Shoving away from the machine, she brought both guns up and fired. She didn't have to think too much about accuracy, not at this range.

A bullet raced past her head and she winced and gave the guard both barrels. He went down, twisting as he fell, to land like a ragdoll on the ground. Still firing, she made a mad dash for a wagon about twenty yards away. More bullets filled the air and she winced, as a few of them put holes in her coat. It wasn't that the bullets had hit her, but damn, she liked that coat and it would be just about impossible to get a new one on the road.

An instant later, one of the guards flew backward, riddled with holes. The others spun, eyes wide, looking all around for the shooter, but she knew they wouldn't find them. Vanille was up on the roof of a building above them, hidden in the shadows, blazing away with her shotgun.

As the guards scrambled for cover, Fang reloaded behind the wagon and came out shooting. Another guard fell, shot twice in the chest, and Fang couldn't help but grin. This was what she liked best, a low-down, guns blazing, smoke everywhere, kind of fight. It wasn't pretty or elegant or really much of anything except chaotic, but it was fun. Her heart pounded, her whole body alive with the thrill of the fight and she'd bet every gil she had that up there on the roof, Vanille had a smile just as crazy as her own on her face.

Eventually, the gunfire died down as the last guard fell. Vanille climbed off the roof and skipped over to Fang with a grin.

"I win," Vanille crowed.

Fang look at her and raised one eyebrow. "What are you talking about? What do you win?"

Vanille rolled her eyes like it was obvious. "I got more of them than you." She propped her shotgun over her shoulder and puffed her chest out. "And that makes me the winner and you the loser."

"Hey!" Fang said. "That's not fair and you know. I'm just the decoy when we run that play, so of course you got more of them than me. Besides, the night's not over yet and we both know that there are plenty more of those guards left."

Vanille wiped some sweat off her brow and reloaded her shotgun. "You know, Fang, you can be such a spoil sport." She smiled sunnily. "So, what now?"

Fang looked over at the next set of buildings. "Well, they've got a storage shed up ahead where they keep all their stuff for blasting. Head on over there and see if you can't grab some and rig the mine to blow."

"Sounds fun." Vanille tilted her head to one side and her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Fact is, it sounds like a lot of fun, just like something you'd want to do."

Fang sighed. "Yeah, I guess it does, but remember what happened the last time I tried to blast something to bits?"

Vanille's eyes widened and she giggled, slapping Fang on the back. "Yeah, there was that bridge we blew up…" She laughed again. "You really made a mess of that one, Fang."

"Yeah." Fang grimaced. Sure, she'd blown the bridge up, but she'd almost blown them up along with it, not to mention derailed a train and totalled her gun. She was not going to risk heading back to Sazh's place anytime soon, not if it meant facing up to that wolverine of a wife he had. Honestly, why did she end up staring down the business end of a shotgun while Vanille got lemonade?

"So, what are you going to do then? Vanille asked. Up ahead, there were more guards coming and she was starting to get a little antsy.

"I'm going to head over to the foreman's office, maybe see if there's any cash there – we can't exactly carry off too much gold ourselves, now can we? There might also be some of the information we're looking for too," Fang said. "Now let's get going and you take care, Vanille. If you're not sure if you should shoot something, shoot first, ask questions later."

Vanille nodded. "I'll remember to do that." And then she was running off toward the storage shed while Fang picked her way further up the road to where the foreman's office was.

Just like she'd thought, Fang ran into a whole heap of guards along the way. It was messy work, what with it being mostly dark and all, and it didn't help either this time that they were smarter, mostly keeping to the shadows and attacking together, rather than bunching up where the light was. A couple of their shots would have dropped her too, if she hadn't been quick to find cover or dodge.

"Damn," she muttered. "They must really like this place." She peered around a corner and winced as a bullet blew out a bit of wood near her head. She drew a bead on the guard and fired back, dropping him. "I hope Vanille's having an easier time of it than me."

And then right on cue, she saw a great big ball of fire go up. "Figures, she'd have all the luck," Fang muttered before she turned back to her own task.

Finally, she wasn't sure how much later, she reached the foreman's office. She took a quick look around to make sure there weren't any more guards hiding about and then locked the door behind her and reloaded her guns. She was almost out of bullets, which wasn't exactly good, but she figured that after all the guards she'd put down, they had to be almost out of guards, as well.

Moving quickly through the office, she spotted the safe down the back and smiled as she took a little thing that Vanille had put together out of her coat. She slapped it onto the hinge of the safe and took cover behind a table. A moment later, the door of the safe flew past and thudded into the wall.

"Now what do we have here?" she murmured. Along with big piles of cash – never a bad thing in her book – there were some papers too. Now that was mighty interesting. As quick as she could, she stuffed the cash into a bag she'd brought and started looking through the papers to see if they were worth bringing too.

It took her a while to get her head around what the papers were on about, but if she had figured things right, then it was no wonder these had been locked up. It looked like Cocoon had been holding out on the government with this mine. They had everyone thinking it put out maybe a quarter of what it did. Her lips curved upward. This was fraud, big time, and that meant Cocoon wasn't paying nearly what they should be in taxes. It wasn't quite what she'd been hoping to find, but she knew a couple of people who'd be real interested in it. She and Vanille weren't Cocoon's only enemies and there were some pretty big businesses that would pay top dollar to get some dirt on Cocoon. Sure, she might not like all of them – those shifty fellows at Shinra weren't worth a damn – but if it meant doing some damage to Cocoon, well, she'd put aside her differences with them for a bit.

All in all, this thing had gone down pretty well, she thought as another explosion shook the area. It looked like Vanille was really going for it. Still, that was just fine. Blowing the mine to bits was part of the plan and it would tick off Cocoon like nothing else. And once that was done, she and Vanille could just meet up in the hills to the north and they'd be home free. Stuffing the papers in the bag, she went over to the door and opened it.

And found herself face to face with Lightning.

"Aw hell," Fang managed to get out before Lightning slugged her in the jaw with a textbook right cross.

"Damn it!" Fang cursed as she dropped the bag and stumbled backward, her handkerchief coming loose. She hit a table covered with papers and put one hand on it to brace herself as she shook her head to clear it. When her vision cleared, Lightning was there with her gun trained on her, all hard eyes and slim deadliness. "You know, sheriff," Fang said, "That's really no way to say hello."

Lightning glared and Fang took a moment to admire the furious glitter in those sapphire eyes. "I could've shot you instead."

Fang grinned. "Nah, you wouldn't do that. I figure you like me too much to fill me full of holes."

"And how do you figure that?" Lightning asked, easing the hammer of the pistol back.

Fang's grin widened. "Well, I'm not dead yet, now am I? Anyway, how'd you know we were going to be here?"

"I had a chat yestreday with a fellow who ran into you a couple of weeks back." Fang watched the tension in Lightning's frame as she spoke. The other woman was like a steel trap, ready to snap shut at an instant's notice. It was a good look, Fang thought. "You asked him a lot of questions about this place. Now he didn't figure you for who you were, but I did." Lightning's eyes narrowed. "I had a hard ride to get here in time, and even then, I only just made it."

Fang sighed. Maybe she should have just shot that Snow fellow? Still, she couldn't say that she was too disappointed. After all, she was up close and personal with the sheriff again, and that wasn't half bad. Lightning was breathing hard, her chest rising and falling with each breath, and she was sweaty too. Most likely, she'd had to run a fair bit of the way, because those explosions would have scared any chocobo something fierce. Now Fang had met a lot of women who looked pretty horrible all mussed up, but Lightning looked just fine. No, Fang thought, a slow, silly smile crossing her face, Lightning looked much better than fine.

Just like before, Fang found her eyes drawn to that pink hair. Really, up until she'd met Lightning, she'd have thought that pink hair would make someone look like a little girl, but the sheriff was all woman. Those eyes too, were just like she remembered, maybe a little angrier, and those lips, full, but pulled into a tight, angry line were just the same too. Lightning swallowed and Fang followed the motion of her throat, taking in the slender curve of it and grinning a little stupidly as she saw that during the ride over the top few buttons of Lightning's shirt had come undone.

Lightning must have seen her look, because she scowled darkly and with one hand did the buttons back up. The sheriff's fists clenched and Fang brought a hand up to rub her jaw. The old bruises were gone now, but Fang was pretty sure that last punch had given her a new one and while she didn't mind a little rough and tumble, this was getting a bit out of hand.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Fang asked. "We just going to stand here and glare at each other, sheriff?" Of course, Fang wasn't glaring, she was smiling, eyes twinkling at the rage she saw on the sheriff's face.

In reply, Lightning didn't say anything, just reached for some rope she had stored away in her coat.

"Oh… I see what you've got planned. Why, you just couldn't wait to get me all tied up again, now could you?" Fang taunted, smirking as a blush spread across Lightning's cheeks. To her credit though, the sheriff's hand was steady on her pistol and Fang decided it would be downright interesting to push a little more. "Well, I suppose we could do that, if you really wanted, although we don't have all that much time." She stretched, careful to move in just the right manner to show Lightning how much of a woman she was. "Or maybe, sheriff, you like doing things fast?"

"Shut up," Lightning ground out as she forced herself to calm down. She would not let Fang get to her. "Now, don't you move a muscle…"

Fang's eyes narrowed a fraction as Lightning stepped forward and her eyes drifted to the bag she'd dropped by the door. All kidding aside, she knew that if Lightning got her all tied up again, she'd be hard pressed to get free. Under other circumstances, maybe not so bad, but right now, not exactly what she had in mind. Her hands closed on a sheaf of papers and quick as a flash, she grabbed them and threw the whole lot at Lightning.

"Damn it!" Lightning cursed as she fired. The bullet went wide as Fang dove to one side and charged. Still cursing, Lightning tried to swat the papers away.

Fang closed the gap and tackled Lightning to the ground. Lightning's gun clattered loose and the pair of them rolled across the ground. They hit a chair and Fang ignored the flash of pain the impact brought and shifted so that she was straddling Lighting.

"You know," Fang drawled as she took a moment to savour the sight of the sheriff beneath her, cheeks flushed and panting. "I could get used to this, but I still owe you for last time." And with that she threw a punch straight at Lightning's face. At the last second, Lightning jerked her head to the side. Fang's punch missed and she cursed as her hand struck the floor. "Ouch!"

Biting back a grin as the other woman clutched at her hand, Lightning bucked her hips and the two of them rolled again, this time Lightning on top. "You know, you should talk less and fight more!" Lightning growled as she drove one fist at Fang's face. The other woman caught the blow with one forearm and then brought her other arm up to help ward off the next few, as well.

With no time to appreciate the view – and it was a rather nice view – Fang looked up at Lightning and did her best to block the punches. Damn, the pink haired woman had a hell of a punch with both hands. Still, she doubted that the sheriff was much for fighting dirty, and Fang had never been one to let an advantage go to waste.

"You really seem to like it up there on top," Fang teased. "And normally that'd be just fine with me, problem is, I like my face in one piece." And with that she grabbed Lightning by the collar of her shirt and yanked her down into a head butt. The move caught Lighting by surprise and in the moment that she was dazed, Fang got a leg up between them and kicked her off.

Lightning flew back and landed on one of the tables. The table creaked and then gave way and as Fang stumbled to her feet, she couldn't help grin at the sight of Lightning's fumbling about the wreckage. It was quite a sight, what with the sheriff, on her hands and knees and still shaking her head to clear it. Fang's grin grew even wider when Lightning looked up at her with a look so murderous it had to be criminal. Growling, the pink haired woman launched herself straight at Fang.

Fang couldn't stop smiling as the two of them exchanged punches and kicks. Forget what she'd said earlier, Lightning knew how to fight dirty, and damn if she wasn't good at it. A punch at Fang's head was followed by a savage kick to the side of her knee and a furious set of blows that would have knocked her clean out if they'd connect cleanly. Still, Fang was the stronger of the two of them, even if she was slower, and she was more than happy to just stand there slugging it out. By the time the two of them broke apart, Lightning's lip was split and so was Fang's and she doubted either of them would be in decent shape come the next morning.

Lightning dragged in a deep breath. "You aren't getting out of here."

Fang chuckled softly. She loved that tone, all steel and velvet. It would have been almost sultry too, if not for the look in Lightning's eyes and the fact that she'd just done her best to kick Fang's head in. "You know," Fang said. "I'd believe that more if I actually thought you could stop me."

Lightning scowled and the two of them met again with a flurry of blows. A punch caught her in the gut, and Fang winced and threw an elbow that caught Lightning in the side of the head. As Lightning threw another punch, Fang managed to catch her fist and the taller woman grinned at the furious look on Lightning's face.

"You know, sheriff, you're real pretty when you smile, but damn, you're just plain beautiful when you're mad."

That earned Fang a kick to the face.

Fang wiped the blood off her lip. "Heh. I figure I deserved that one."

Lightning's eyes flicked over to her gun several yards away. "I think maybe next time I will just shoot you."

"I'd like to see you try."

Lightning darted forward again but stumbled as an explosion rocked the area. It wasn't like the others that had continued through their little brawl. No, those had been pretty small, the kind that took out a house or two. This explosion was huge, a great, big, tremendous earth-shaking wall of sound and force that rattled the office, blew out the windows, and filled the night with fire. Clods of earth flew through the air and Fang laughed out loud. It looked like Vanille had finished messing around and just blown the whole mine to smithereens.

Fang kept right on laughing as Lightning crashed into her. Rather than hit the other woman, Fang tugged her close, arms around her, locking Lightning's arms against her sides. Slowly, a sultry smile found its way onto Fang's face as she watched Lightning's eyes widen in shock as the pink haired woman realised how close they were. Yep, this close, Fang could feel every curve of Lightning's body and she took a moment to savour it.

"Let me go, right now." Lightning's eyes promised fifty different kinds of pain.

Fang just shook her head. "I don't figure that'd be a good idea, because if I did, you'd just slug me again." She leaned in close and grinned as she saw Lightning swallow thickly, their faces only inches apart. "Besides, I still owe you for last time."

And then as Lightning struggled to get free, Fang leaned closer still. Lightning smelled good, really good, a mix of gunpowder and sweat and something undeniably feminine that she figured must have been plain old Lightning. Feeling Lightning freeze under her scrutiny, Fang closed the gap completely and kissed her.

Fang felt Lightning shiver as their lips met and when the other woman gasped, well, Fang wasn't rude enough to refuse an invitation like that. Lightning tasted sweet, but it was a different kind of sweet, not soft, not gentle, but wild, raw, and proud. She smiled into the kiss and watched as Lightning's eyes fluttered shut. Yeah, Lightning tasted like the sweet rain of an early spring storm. When Fang pulled away, Lightning's eyes slowly opened and there was a dazed look on her face that just made Fang want to kiss her again. And again.

"Well," Fang drawled as she stepped away from the stupefied sheriff. "I figure that makes us even, after all, turnabout is fair play." She ran one hand along Lightning's jaw. "Besides, a face like yours, it's a damn shame I've had to hit you even once."

And with that Fang ran for the door, grabbing the bag of cash and papers on the way out. "Be seeing you, sheriff."

Those last words were enough to shake Lightning out of her paralysis and she dove for her gun.

Outside in the corridor, Fang bit back a curse as a bullet smashed through the wall and grazed her side. Eyes wide, she stared through the hole in the wall to see Lightning drawing a bead on her for another shot.

"Damn," Fang muttered. "She almost shot me dead through the wall." She laughed. "Well, if I wasn't sure before, I'm sure now. I think I'm in love." And the last thing she saw before she rounded the corner and reached the relative safety of the darkness outside the foreman's office building was Lightning, her furious blue eyes shining, one hand scrubbing furiously at her mouth, the other lifting her gun for another shot.

Later, when she met up with Vanille, Fang was still smiling.

"What happened to you, Fang? You're all beat up." Vanille reached over to where yet another bruise was forming on Fang's jaw. "And your side is bleeding."

"I had a little run in with our friend, the sheriff." Fang reached down and touched her side. It was a light graze really, nothing that maybe a couple of days rest couldn't fix. "And as for this? She shot me through a wall."

"Through a wall?" Vanille grimaced. "What did you do to get her so mad at you."

Fang grinned and thought back to the kiss. Sure, it had been just the thing to stun Lightning, but it had been real good too. "Let's just say I probably deserved it." She reached up and touched her lips. "But it was so worth it."

X X X

**Author's Notes**

First of all, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off this.

Well, it looks like Fang and Lightning are getting to know each other better (or to quote Seraph from the Matrix "You do not truly know someone until you fight them", in which case Fang and Lightning know each other _very_ well). Anyway, I was thinking of splitting this chapter in half, but after thinking about it, I like it better this way. I don't really have much else to say other than that, but the idea of Vanille running around with explosives has been on my mind for a while (I'm not sure what to make of that). On another note, this chapter is easily the longest, clocking in at almost double the length of the others.

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	13. Chapter 13

**Just Like Old Times**

Serah opened the front door and stepped inside. She was worried, real worried. It had been a couple of days since Lightning had ridden out north to the Cocoon place outside of Bodhum and she still hadn't heard from her. Normally, she wouldn't have let it get to her because Lightning was tough, the kind of tough that could get through just about anything, but last night she'd seen and heard the explosion from up north.

With a sigh, she set her things down on a table in the sitting room and took a seat. She had a whole lot of papers to grade, projects that her students had done, along with some report cards to write. That she wasn't much looking forward to. Parents didn't usually take too kindly to being told anything bad about their kids, even if it was true. It was times like this she was really glad that Lightning was the sheriff. As angry as some folks got over their kids, there wasn't a single person who wouldn't think twice before getting nasty with her, not with how protective everyone knew Lightning was.

Still, she could mark the papers later. Right now, she just wanted to lie down and take a nap. On her way to her room, she stopped as she heard a muffled groan come from the bathroom. Feeling a little nervous, she went back to where the fireplace was and picked up a heavy poker before she crept back to the bathroom door. It was only when she looked down and saw the boots propped against the wall that she relaxed. She'd know those boots anywhere, they were Lightning's.

Serah opened the door and looked into the tub. Lightning was there and for a moment, Serah couldn't see what the problem was. Then she moved and she had a clear view of Lightning's body. She gasped. There were bruises, lots of them, and all over the place. Looking up, she saw that Lightning's face hadn't been spared either. Her lip was busted open and her jaw was looking a little purple. But worse than that, were the bruises along her arms and side. They went right up along her ribcage and all the way up her arms. Someone had hit her sister, had her hit her a lot, and had hit her hard.

"Claire…" Serah whispered before Lightning's eyes flicked over to her and narrowed just a fraction. Serah sighed and corrected herself. "Lightning, what happened?"

Lightning looked over at Serah and the younger woman couldn't help but quiver. It was easy sometimes, to forget just how dangerous Lightning was. This was a woman who had the fastest draw in the West, who could drop a man from fifty paces just as easily as Serah might write something up on the blackboard. Just because Lightning had never directed that cool, lethal deadliness at her didn't mean it wasn't there.

"I rode up to the Cocoon place," Lightning said softly and Serah could see that just talking hurt her. "I had a run in with the Bahumut Bandit. We were fighting when the whole place went up. Her partner must have done it. Last I saw, the place was rubble."

"Did… did the Bahamut Bandit do that to you?" It scared Serah a little to see her sister hurt like this. Her sister had been sheriff for a while now, and it had been a long, long time, since she'd come back looking the worse for wear.

Lightning's gaze sharpened as she ran one hand along the bruise on her jaw. Just looking at it made Serah wince and though Lightning was careful to hide any sign of pain, Serah was pretty sure it hurt something awful.

"She did," Lightning said at last. "But I gave as good as I got."

For a moment after she'd spoken, Lightning's gaze was glazed and a thousand miles away and Serah couldn't help but wonder if maybe something more had gone on, something that Lightning wasn't telling her. It wouldn't have been the first time that Lightning had hidden things from her, probably because the older woman thought that Serah wouldn't be able to handle knowing.

"What else happened?" Serah asked.

Just like she'd expected, Lightning shook her head. "It doesn't matter now. Just… just let me stay in here a bit longer."

Serah nodded and went back into the sitting room. She could tell that her sister wanted to be alone, and maybe that was for the best. Whatever had happened to Lightning up there wasn't something she was ready to talk about. Given time, she might open up, and of course, Serah had her little ways. Yes, Lightning was all kinds of stubborn and trying to force something out of her when she wasn't willing was a recipe for disaster.

Still, as she went over to one of the cabinets to fetch some bandages and salve for Lightning's wounds, her mind wandered back to another time her sister had come home all beat up and with a thousand mile stare.

X X X

Thump.

Serah heard something banging about in the sitting room and tightened her hold on her blankets. The fifteen year old couldn't help but be a little scared. Her sister and old man Amodar were doing their best to get Bodhum cleaned up, but there were still plenty of troublemakers and her sister had been pretty clear about what to do if anyone ever came around looking to harm her. Fill them full of holes. Lightning had even taught her how to shoot, and Serah had done her best to get at least decent with a gun, even if the sound of it and the way it rattled her body when she fired made her want to run and hide.

With her breath coming in sharp, quick little gasps, she climbed out of bed and reached for the gun at her bedside. It was a small thing, with nowhere near the power of Lightning's pistol, but it was accurate and easy to use. As quietly as she could, she opened her door and crept toward the sitting room. As she stared into it, the gun dropped from her hands and clattered onto the floor.

Lightning was there, slumped across one of the chairs and there was blood all over her.

"Lightning!" Serah cried as she ran over to her sister. Half crazy with panic, she grabbed a cloth off a nearby table and began to try and dab some of the blood away from Lightning's face. The whole time, Lightning just kind of flopped there, her eyes glazed and unfocused. "Lightning!" Serah cried again. "Oh, Lightning, come on!"

And finally, finally, Lightning responded. She sort of shuddered and blinked and some of the haze in her eyes seemed to fall away as she slowly turned to meet Serah's frantic gaze. "Serah," she croaked, "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"In bed?" Serah choked the words out, laughing almost crazily and sobbing at the same time. "I don't care about bed. What happened to you?"

Somehow, Lightning stood and almost gently, she pushed Serah away and staggered toward the bathroom. "Just go to bed, Serah. I'll be fine."

"No you won't!" Serah said as she darted over to grab her sister's arm, half certain that the older girl was about to collapse. "This is what you always do! You always say you're fine, but you're not, Lightning, I know you're not!"

Lightning stopped and stared down at Serah, but Serah refused to look away. Most times, Lightning's movements were all silk and velvet, but right now she was sluggish, her feet almost dragging as she fought to stay upright. "Let go of me, Serah."

"No!" Serah tightened her hold. "Why won't you let me help you?"

"I don't need your help!" Lightning shouted, raising her voice for the first time as she pulled out of Serah's grasp and staggered away. She lost her balance and stumbled into the wall before she managed right herself and push away. It didn't escape Serah's eyes that Lightning had left a pretty big red mark along the wall, or that she was clutching at her side. "I don't need anyone's help," Lightning muttered, more to herself than to Serah, as she fumbled with the bathroom door.

Serah followed Lightning into the bathroom and watched with a heavy heart as her sister began to fill the tub, one bucketful of water at a time. By the third bucketful, Lightning's hands were shaking, and by the fifth, she could scarcely get her arms up.

"Oh, Lightning…" Serah whispered. "Why do you have to be so stubborn?"

And with that Serah, gently took the bucket from Lightning, ignoring the older girl's glare, and started to fill the tub herself. It was messy work, and her dressing gown quickly got soaked, but she paid it no mind, instead ushering Lightning to strip down and then climb into the tub.

When the tub was full, Serah again took the time to look over her sister's injuries. Beneath all the blood, she could make out bruises and cuts all over Lightning's body. Lightning's left arm was dangling too. It didn't look dislocated, but from the way Lightning's face screwed up every time she tried to move it, it must have taken some awful punishment. Unbidden she felt tears prickle at her eyes and scrubbed at her face to ward them off. Lightning needed her now and being a weak, simpering little girl wouldn't be any good at all.

"You've done enough, Serah," Lightning said as she began to wash herself as best she could with just her right arm. "Go back to sleep."

Serah shook her head and watched as Lightning began to wash the blood away. Only now, as the blood began to clear, did Serah realise that almost none of it was Lightning's. Serah's eyes widened at the realisation and she tasted bile in the back of her mouth as her mind ran over all the different reasons that Lightning could have so much blood on her, blood that wasn't hers. Just how many people had she killed, and how had she killed them?

Lightning's voice was almost a sob. "Don't look at me, Serah. Please, just look away."

But Serah didn't look away. She couldn't, not, when her sister was hurting so badly. Instead she bent down, and not even caring about the fact that she still had her dressing gown on, she took the sponge away from Lightning and began to, very gently, scrub the blood away.

"Serah…"

"It's fine," Serah whispered, not trusting her voice to get the words out without breaking. "It's just fine, Lightning."

Lightning's eyes widened and there was a glitter in them that Serah hadn't seen for so long, not since… not since the day they'd lost their parents. Swallowing thickly and trying her best to smile, Serah leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her sister and pressed her face into Lightning's hair, not caring that there was still a fair bit of blood there.

"You'll get blood on you, Serah," Lightning said softly and Serah knew she was talking about more than just blood and more than just this moment. "Let me go."

"No," Serah growled. "Never. You're my sister."

Lightning smiled softly, heartbreakingly, and closed her eyes. "Thank you."

Serah shook her head slowly. "No, thank you. Now stay still Lightning and just this once… just this once, let me look after you."

Lightning's eyes opened and for a moment Serah thought she might refuse, but almost as quickly as it had come, the fire in Lightning's eyes faded, banked, and was gone. In its place there was only a bone-deep weariness. "All right. Just this once."

Serah worked as quickly and gently as she could to get the blood off and it wasn't too long before the water was a light pink. It didn't help her nerves either, that each time she touched one of Lightning's bruises, the older girl would bite her lip and clench her jaw. For her part, Serah couldn't hold back a hiss as she took in one particularly nasty cut along Lightning's stomach.

"That'll need stitches," Serah murmured. "I'll do it once we're finished here."

Once Lightning was all cleaned up, Serah helped her dry off and slip into a loose pair of pants and an equally loose shirt. Then the two of them walked over into the kitchen and she had Lightning draw up a chair as she went off to fetch some needle and thread.

Lightning must have been getting her wits back, because when Serah came back with the needle and thread, Lightning tried to take them from her. "I can do this myself."

Serah snatched the needle and thread back. "You're not much good with a needle and thread, Lighting, it'll scar if you do it. Let me handle it and you'll be fine."

Lightning sighed and nodded slowly. To get the needle clean, Serah lit a candle and let the needle heat. When she was sure that it was clean, she got to work, doing her best to block out the grimace on Lightning's face and the occasional hiss that escaped her lips. If it had been her, Serah thought, she'd have been crying something fierce, but Lightning had always been too brave for her own good.

"There," Serah said at last. "We're done. Now get to bed."

Lightning nodded and stiffly got to her feet. Refusing to take Serah's arm, she stumbled back to her room and somehow made it onto the bed. Serah followed her into her room and stood, unmoving by the door.

"You can go now, Serah," Lightning said.

Serah paused for a moment and then looked, really looked, into her sister's eyes. Most people thought her sister didn't have too much in the way of emotions, but Serah knew better. Lightning felt just as much, maybe more, than anyone, she was just better at hiding it, but Serah had gotten good at reading her. There was a look of muted horror in Lightning's eyes, like she was afraid that if she went to sleep she'd see something, something she wished she could just forget. Serah had seen the look a couple of times before, like when Lightning had first shot someone. It was the look of someone who'd seen, really and truly, what they were capable of and maybe, just maybe, been a little frightened of it. That time, Serah had turned away, had been too scared to stay, but not this time. No, she thought as she squared her shoulders, this time, she wouldn't run away, not when Lightning needed her.

"Can I stay with you tonight, Lightning?" Serah asked. Lightning might not ask for help, might not accept it even if it was offered, but Serah knew that she'd give it if she thought that Serah needed it.

Lightning's expression shifted almost too quickly for Serah to follow, but in the end, she nodded. "All right."

That night, as Lightning slept the deep, exhausted sleep of someone who'd done far too much, Serah stayed awake. Moonlight spilled in through the windows and each time she saw Lightning's brow furrow, or her fists clench, Serah tightened her hold a little, let Lighnting know that she was there, that she wouldn't leave, no matter what. Finally, when the dawn came, Serah pulled away and got dressed. She needed to know what had happened to Lightning and there was only one man who could tell her.

It took her an hour to ride over to old man Amodar's place. He must have been expecting her, because he was out on the porch and for the first time she could remember, he really did look old.

"Why don't you sit down, Serah?" Amodar said softly and as she took in the sad, world-weary look on his face, she was reminded once again that long before he'd come to Bodhum, he'd been a marshal of some renown.

"What happened to my sister last night, Amodar?" She cut straight to the point. Politeness was one thing, but this was neither the time nor the place.

Amodar chuckled quietly and she noticed that he had a glass in front of him, along with a bottle of whiskey. He poured himself a glass and then looked down into the whiskey as if it could tell him the answer. "I didn't mean for things to go like they did. She wasn't supposed to stay. She was supposed to run."

"What do you mean?"

Amodar shook his head slowly. "We ran into trouble. There weren't supposed to be that many of them. I got pinned down and we were both pretty much out of ammo. I told her she needed to run, to go get help."

Serah closed her eyes. "But she didn't. No, that's not right. She wouldn't, she wouldn't because she's Lightning."

Amodar lips curved into a bitter smile. "That's exactly right, Serah. One of those bandits had an old sabre. She went after him, took him down and took the sabre from him. After that… well… after that, she went after the others."

Serah felt ill. All that blood…

"She should have just left me," Amodar said. "I never wanted… I never wanted her to have to do what she did. It's one thing to shoot somebody, but…"

Serah clenched her fists so tight they hurt. Lightning had cut those men down, had run them through, had cut and slashed and stabbed and…

"You stay away from her!" Serah shouted as she drove to her feet. The glass of whiskey nearly toppled, but Amodar got a hand to it and downed the whole thing in one gulp. "She shouldn't have to do things like that!"

"Serah…" Amodar kept his voice low and gentle, but Serah wouldn't have any of it.

With a growl, Serah stalked off and then rode away. She had an older sister to take care of.

Alone again on his porch, Amodar poured himself another whiskey. "You're right, Serah, she shouldn't have to do it." He closed his eyes and downed the whiskey. "But someone has to, and she might just be the only one strong enough." He laughed mirthlessly. "Damn, I wish I were twenty years younger."

X X X

Shaking her head to clear her mind of the memories, Serah waited for Lightning to come out of the bath. The bruises still looked pretty awful, but now that she'd had time to clear her head, Serah could see that they weren't quite as bad as she'd first thought. Certainly, she'd seen Lightning come back with worse. Once she'd rubbed some salve onto the bruises to help them heal and bandaged everything up, she helped Lightning into her bed.

"I'll stay with you," Serah said softly as she slipped in beside Lightning.

Lightning just nodded and the two of them lay there together. Only when she'd heard Lightning's breathing even out into the slow, deep pace of slumber, did Serah let herself fall asleep.

X X X

**Author's Notes**

First of all, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off this.

To begin, my apologies to anyone expecting a chapter with a great deal of humour. However, I felt that I needed a bit more on Lightning and Serah's relationship and while I probably could have done something humorous to show that off (think Lightning catching Serah and Snow in a compromising position), I felt that this would be best. Certainly, I think that despite Lightning's overall level of awesomeness as a sheriff, it couldn't have been easy at the start. Rest assured, however, that this story is not going to become overwhelmed with angst (although there isn't anything wrong with stories that are). Besides, one of the things I've always liked about Westerns is that despite how incredible the heroes often are (e.g., one guy shooting about fifty guys on his own), they are often depicted as very human, particularly with regards to their pasts.

As for how badly Lightning is beat up, trust me, if you're ever in a fight, you really feel it the next morning. When the adrenaline's pumping, it's okay, but after… not so much. Don't worry though, Fang didn't exactly get off lightly either. As for why I know what it's like to have been in a fight… see some of the author's notes in my other stories. I've broken an arm, a hand, and severely damage a knee before.

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	14. Chapter 14

**Back For More**

Sazh woke to someone banging on the front door of the house. He stumbled out of bed with a cry and fumbled blindly for the gun he kept in one of the drawers of his bedside table. He might not going looking for trouble much anymore, but there was still plenty of trouble looking for him. As he got his head together, he chanced a quick look out the window. The moon was there, big and bright and pale, and that only made him more suspicious. No one decent turned up banging on someone's door this time of night.

"You get that door right this instant Sazh," Lahna growled as she pressed her face into her pillow and snatched his pillow to cover her ears.

Sazh didn't need to be told twice. A cranky Lahna meant all kinds of trouble, and not the kind that he was cut out to deal with. He might be a fair shot with a gun, but he'd never been able to raise a hand to Lahna, whereas she had no qualms about raising a hand to him – or a frying pan, for that matter.

"I'm going," Sazh muttered. "Hold your horses."

Still half-asleep, he trudged over to the front door, glad that the racket hadn't woke Dajh. His son took after his mother when it came to sleep, and a bad night's sleep could push the boy from mischievous to downright aggravating. It didn't help matters much that the boy's chocobo, Chirpy, could get pretty vicious when bothered too. Honestly, now that he thought about it, he was the only one in the house who didn't get downright murderous from a lack of sleep. Wasn't that just grand?

Finally at the front door, he eased the hammer of his pistol back and opened the door.

"Oh." He stared at Fang and Vanille. "It's you."

Then he shut the door.

"Damn it, Sazh!" Fang screamed as she hammered on the door with one fist. "You open this damn door right now!"

Sazh leaned on the door and did his best not to scream. He should have stayed in bed. Only trouble came from getting the door this time of night. "Go away!" Sazh shouted back. "I heard about that trouble you two caused round Bodhum!"

Still hammering on the door, Fang yelled back. "Come on, Sazh! Let us in."

Sazh opened his mouth to reply but was cut short by another shout, this time from inside the house.

"Who is that at the door, Sazh?" Lahna shouted. "Tell them to go away!"

Sazh looked down the barrel of his gun and wondered if it would make too much of a mess if he turned it on himself. How Dajh hadn't woken up yet, he had no idea, but he'd take what little luck he could get. "It's Fang and Vanille, honey."

"Oh," Lahna shouted from the bedroom. "In that case let Vanille in – it must be cold out there."

With a deep sigh, Sazh opened the door and yanked Vanille in before he shut it again.

"Hey!" Fang roared as she pounded on the door even harder. "What are you doing? Let me in!"

Vanille looked over at Sazh and smiled, her big eyes shining brightly. "Do you think you could let her in? She's not feeling too well."

Sazh braced his shoulder on the door, half afraid it was about to break. "Sounds to me like she's feeling just fine."

"Please, Sazh."

Damn it. Vanille was just too darn cute to say no to, what with those big, almost tearful eyes of hers, and her lip jutting out just so. Besides, from the sounds of things the door wouldn't last much longer and he just knew he'd get it if Lahna woke up to find the door all banged to bits. "Fine, I supposed she can come in," Sazh muttered as he opened the door.

Fang staggered through the door, fire in her eyes and her fists clenched. "Damn it, Sazh, I should slug you for that."

"Do that and you're back outside, Fang." Sazh yawned and staggered back toward the bedroom. "The spare room's still set up for you two to use. Sleep now and we can talk things through in the morning."

Vanille ran over and grabbed Sazh by the arm. "But, Sazh, Fang's hurt!"

Sazh turned and with one eye closed walked back over to Fang. "Where are you hurt worst?" Sazh asked. Fang pointed at her side. "I see." He poked her with the barrel of the gun and Fang gave a sharp hiss and swung out at him with one fist.

"Damn it, don't do that, Sazh!" Fang groaned and rubbed her side. "That hurts."

There wasn't even a hint of sympathy on Sazh's face. "I figured that. But you'll live. So go to sleep or I'll go get Lahna." Fang paled and Sazh smirked. "Yeah, I thought so. Now go to bed you two or I'll have a cranky wife, cranky son, and a cranky chocobo to deal with and if that happens well… I'm not so far gone that I can't put a bullet in you."

Ignoring the twitching muscle in Fang's jaw, Sazh headed back to the bedroom and shut the door. Honestly, he was getting too old for this.

It was midmorning when Sazh woke up. He'd had a pretty odd dream the night before. In his dream he'd woken up in the middle of the night to find Fang and Vanille at the door. He chuckled. It was an odd dream, but certainly not the strangest he'd had. In any case, he was feeling pretty good. He could smell breakfast and by the smell of it, it was going to be a good one. He could also hear Dajh talking quickly to someone, along with the chirps of his chocobo.

He got dressed with a smile on his face and stepped out of the bedroom and walked over to the dining room. The second he saw who was there, he almost turned right back around. Fang and Vanille were there. At the table. Eating breakfast.

Shaking his head slowly and rubbing at his eyes – please, he thought, let this be a dream – he looked things over more closely. Vanille had a big heaping of flannel cakes **(AN: a flannel cake is like a pancake) **on her plate, complete with a big dollop of syrup and what had to be far too much butter. The little read head was tucking into the food like she hadn't eaten in days, which knowing her and Fang, might not be too much of a stretch. Dajh also had a heap of flannel cakes almost as big as he was on his plate, and even the chocobo had a bowl of syrup. As for Fang though, all she had on her plate was a single piece of toast, mostly burnt, and by the look on her face, that's all she'd been given.

Sniggering at the furious look on Fang's face, he took his place at the head of the table. His plate had some toast on it and a couple of flannel cakes and there was a hot cup of coffee there that was brewed just how he liked it. Taking a sip of his coffee, he looked Fang and Vanille over more carefully. Even though he'd been a mite frosty the night before, it wasn't like he minded them too much. The truth was, he liked them well enough otherwise he wouldn't have put up with them so much when they were younger. As of late though, they'd only ever come around when there was trouble and he was too old for the kind of trouble they'd be bringing.

Vanille seemed okay. She was still wearing the same clothes as the night before and while they were a little bit singed in places, she didn't seem to be hurt. Fang, on the other hand, looked like she'd just gone ten rounds with a pack of rabid coyotes with nothing but a toothpick.

"How're the flannel cakes, Vanille?" Lahna cooed. "You poor thing, it's like you haven't had a decent meal in days." She cast a cold eye at Fang and brandished a spatula. "You degenerate, I'll just bet you haven't been taking care of Vanille, have you?"

Fang drove to her feet and leaned across the table. "I'll have you know I take care of Vanille just fine." She scowled at Lahna and stretched out one hand. "Now can I get a flannel cake or something?"

Lahna rapped Fang across the wrist with the spatula. "Now you listen up, I'll not be bossed around in my house by a criminal. So why don't you sit down and eat what I've given you." As Fang sat down with a sullen look on her face, Lahna let out a long suffering sigh. "Fine, if you want something else to eat, here."

And with that Lahna dumped a miserable, burnt, misshapen flannel cake on Fang's plate and flounced away.

"Hey!" Fang roared. "What is–" She was stopped short when Lahna turned and flung the spatula at her.

"No yelling at the table," Lahna said.

Hiding his chuckle behind his cup of coffee, Sazh frowned and quickly brought his knife around to block off Fang's attempt to sneak some food off his plate. "So, what's going on with you two?"

Vanille took a few moments to chew and then swallow, her cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk. "We ran into some trouble a few days back. I got out okay, but Fang got hurt a bit. There's also some stuff we want you to take a look at."

Lahna rolled her eyes. "I'm not too surprised. It's not like Fang's the smartest person. She's got a nose for trouble and she's careless too."

"Hey!" Fang shouted.

A spoon flew at Fang's head. "What did I say?" Lahna growled. "No yelling at the table."

Vanille stuffed another flannel cake into her mouth whole, a sight that got a quick round of applause from Dajh and an incredulous look from Sazh. "Your flannel cakes are the best, Lahna!"

"Why thank you, Vanille," Lahna said as she came back with another plate of flannel cakes. Quickly, she put a few more on Vanille's plate. "Why don't you have some more, Vanille?"

Vanille nodded happily. "Thanks!" She spread some butter on the flannel cakes and then poured some more syrup on them for good measure. "Do you think you could take a look at Fang, Lahna? I did the best I could, but I know you did some nurse work."

Lahna looked at Fang and Fang recoiled at the look of vague distaste on the older woman's face. "Well, I suppose I could take a look at her for you, Vanille. We can do that after breakfast and after that, I guess, if you're feeling well, you could take Dajh around town. You could use some civilisation and I know Dajh would be glad to go with you. Actually, I might go with the both of you."

Dajh nodded happily. "It'll be fun!" On his shoulder, Chirpy made a happy noise of agreement.

"That sounds swell." Vanille smiled sunnily and offered her plate, which had somehow, already been emptied. "Could I have some more?"

The rest of breakfast was mighty awkward, at least for Fang. Eventually, Sazh ended up pawning some of his food off on Fang. As much as she could aggravate him, she just looked downright pathetic staring at Vanille's plateful of food while the red head ate with clueless gusto. It also helped quiet the growling from Fang's stomach, which was getting a bit too much for him to ignore.

Once breakfast was over, Fang and Vanille headed back to the spare room with Lahna while Sazh pulled out an old newspaper and got to reading it at the table. Dajh stayed at the table too, staring down yet another plate of flannel cakes.

Back in the spare room, Lahna glowered at Fang. "Take off your shirt."

Fang hissed as Lahna poked and prodded at her injuries. After she and Vanille had fled the Cocoon place out near Bodhum, she'd felt good, better than good, actually. But the next morning, well, that had been a different story. She'd felt like she'd been run over by a train. Not only was she covered in bruises – Lightning hit damn hard – but the graze she'd taken from the shot that Lightning had fired through the wall had been a fair bit deeper than she'd thought at first. The graze had gotten infected and without the proper things they needed to clear it out, the two of them had been forced to head over to Sazh's place.

"What do you think, Lahna?" Vanille asked. "It looks pretty nasty doesn't it?"

The dark-skinned woman hummed and then prodded the graze. Fang screeched and tried to jerk away, but Lahna's hold on her was firm.

"It does look pretty nasty," Lahna said. "I'd say it's probably infected. Did you try cleaning it out?"

Vanille nodded and prodded the wound, drawing another screech from Fang. "I cleaned it out as best I could, but we didn't have everything I needed to do it right."

Lahna leaned over and looked at the wound again, running one finger along it. "I think there might be some bits of wood stuck in here," she murmured before she glanced back at Vanille. "Can you fetch my medical back, it's in the sitting room by the books."

A few moments later, Vanille came back with the medical bag and Lahna pulled some things out of it and got to work. After what felt like far too much prodding to Fang, the other woman sighed. "Yes, there are a couple of little bits of wood in there. They must have gotten lodged in there somehow." She looked over at Fang. "How exactly did you get this?"

Fang grimaced. "Gunshot." Thinking back on things, she supposed it was possible. She'd been pretty close to the wall when Lightning had shot a hole in it. It wasn't too unlikely that some of the bits of broken wood from the wall might have gotten her along with the bullet. "So, what now?"

"Well, I'm glad you asked Fang." Lahna smiled broadly and pulled out some wicked looking instruments from her bag. "Now, we pull those pieces of wood out."

"What?" Fang tried to inch away but there was nowhere for her to go, not when she was sitting on the edge of the bed. "Can't… you know, maybe…. Uh… Vanille do it?"

Lahna's smile only widened. "Oh no, I wouldn't want to leave something this delicate to someone else."

Fang whimpered.

"Now, just hold still. This won't hurt… much."

Back at the dining table, Sazh flipped another page of his newspaper and took another sip of his coffee. Well, wasn't that something, apparently cattle prices were on the up and up. Not too far off, Dajh patted his stomach and leaned back from the table, a big smile on his face.

"GAAAAAAAAAH!"

The sudden, sharp cry made Sazh flinch and he had to scramble to keep his coffee from spilling. Once he had his coffee sorted, he went right back to the newspaper.

"What was that?" Dajh asked, tugging on his father's sleeve.

Sazh took another sip of his coffee. Ah, Lahna always had made the best coffee. "That, son, is the sound of woman in great pain."

Dajh nodded slowly. "Shouldn't we… help?"

"GAAAAAAAAAAH!" Another scream rang out and Sazh set his cup of coffee on the table.

"Son, when you get to my age, you'll learn that there are just some things you're best keeping clear of." Sazh sighed. "Getting between your mother when she's in a mood is one of them." He pointed to the door that led to the sitting room. "Why don't you get yourself a book and I'll read it to you?"

Back in the spare room, Fang lay on the bed curled up into a little ball.

"Well," Lahna said as she put her instruments away. "It looks like I've got all the pieces out."

Fang smiled weakly. "So… it's over?"

Vanille shook her head. "We still need to disinfect it."

"Disinfect it?" Fang's eyes widened as she took in the bottle in Lahna's hand. She knew what was in that bottle and she knew just how much it would sting. "How about we just wash it out with water?" she asked, crawling backward until she was pressed right up against the wall.

Lahna would have none of it. "Do you want it to stay infected?" She smiled sweetly. "Why don't we do it on the count of three?"

Fang nodded. "I guess we could do that."

Lahna leaned over and opened the bottle of disinfectant. "One…" Fang took a deep breath. "Two…" Fang closed her eyes.

"GAAAAAAAAAH!"

Fang's eyes shot open to see that yes, sure enough, Lahna had poured the disinfectant onto the wound, and damn if it didn't hurt worse than being shot. Writhing around on the bed, she cast a furious glance at Vanille. She just had to remind Lahna about the disinfectant didn't she?

"Oh, stop being such a baby," Lahna said as she put the disinfectant away. "You still didn't tell me why somebody shot you." Her eyes narrowed. "You didn't try and ravage some poor, innocent young woman did you?" She glanced over at Vanille. "You would tell me, wouldn't you, if she was mistreating you?"

Fang's jaw dropped and she struggled to sit up. "What are you talking about? I don't go around ravaging people."

Vanille giggled. "She had a run in with a sheriff."

"Oh." Lahna looked strangely disappointed. "Still, what else can you expect from a degenerate criminal." She looked over at Vanille. "Now, I'm planning to head into town with Dajh. Why don't you tag along? There are some spare clothes you can change into and I know you've got a wig in your things that you can use to look different."

"That sounds like fun," Vanille said. "How about you, Fang, do you want to come?"

Fang took one look at the downright evil glare on Lahna's face and smiled shakily. "No… no, you go and have some fun, Vanille. I think I'll just stay here and rest."

Fang waited for Vanille, Lahna, and Dajh to head out before she hobbled over to where Sazh was still leafing through the newspaper with yet another cup of coffee. She and Vanille had another reason for turning up at Sazh's place apart from her needing to be patched up. Over the last few days, she'd taken a closer look at those paper's she'd filched from the Cocoon place near Bodhum and she wanted a second pair of eyes on them just to be sure she'd understood them right.

"From your screaming earlier, I'd figured you were dead," Sazh said, his eyes still on his newspaper.

"You don't sound to sad about that," Fang growled. "One of these days, Sazh, I swear I'll get back at that wife of yours."

Sazh chuckled. "Oh, I don't doubt you'll try, Fang, but as tough as you are, Lahna's got your measure and then some." He looked away from the newspaper. "Now what are those paper's you've got there?"

"These?" Fang pushed the paper's she'd stolen from Cocoon over to him. "I picked these up in a place out near Bodhum. I was hoping you could take a look and tell me what you think."

"That all?" Sazh breathed a sigh of relief. "For a moment there, I thought you might've wrecked your gun again."

Fang grimaced. "Oh, the gun's fine, it's just me that's all beat up. Besides, I might have a fair hand for turning a profit, but five hundred gil is a bit too much for me to be paying every time I drop by."

"Speaking of that gil, you still owe me some." Sazh pinned her with a stare.

Fang laughed nervously and held her hands up. "Look, I said I'd get it to you, and I will. If those papers are what I think they are, then you'll have your money plus a fair bit extra."

"That so?" Sazh asked. "Well, I guess I'd better take a look at those papers."

As Sazh looked through the papers, Fang got stuck into the leftovers. Sure, the flannel cakes weren't warm anymore, but with a bit of butter they tasted just fine and with some added syrup, well, they tasted just about heavenly. A frown crossed her face. It just wasn't fair. She'd been practically starving to death at breakfast and all she'd gotten was a lousy piece of burnt toast and the sorriest flannel cake she'd ever seen whereas Vanille must've eaten at least twice her own body weight in fresh, hot flannel cakes with butter and syrup.

"So, what do you think?" Fang asked between mouthfuls.

Sazh pursed his lips. "I'm thinking you've got some pretty serious leverage here. What are you planning to do with it?"

Fang chewed for a moment and then swallowed. "I can't use it myself. Nobody would believe someone like me, but Cocoon's got a lot of enemies. I've got a contact back in Eden City who could hook me up with some interested folks. I get money, they get leverage, and Cocoon takes a kick in the guts."

"Sounds like a plan, but how are you going to get these papers to Eden City?" Sazh asked. "You can't just post these or send them by courier, they're too tricky for that."

Fang groaned. "I was really hoping to just send them by post, but if you don't think it's a good idea…" She banged her head on the table. "Don't tell me I'll have to…"

Sazh smirked. "Yeah, it looks like you'll be heading east to play dress up."

"I was afraid you'd say that." Fang was not looking forward to heading back east at all. Cities and her didn't mix one bit. Vanille would probably drag her all over the place shopping too, and in her book that was almost as bad as getting into a gunfight without any bullets.

"Ah, relax," Sazh said. "Think of it as a holiday from all that thieving you've been up to."

A couple of hours later, Lahna, Vanille, and Dajh came back.

"Welcome back," Fang drawled, only to stop and stare when she realised just what Vanille was holding. "Vanille," she murmured. "Is that blasting powder?"

Vanille laughed and nodded. "It turns out little Dajh here hasn't ever seen fireworks. I figured I could put some together if I had a little blasting powder and Lahna was kind enough to foot the bill."

"Really?" Fang couldn't help but wince and looking over at Sazh she could see a similar look of agony on his face. Oh yes, they both remembered what had happened the last time Vanille had tried to put some fireworks together. It hadn't ended well, and by the time everything was said and done, the camp they'd been staying at had been reduced to a crater. Some of the others who'd been staying there were still after them.

"Say, Vanille, you wouldn't have happened to have practiced a little since the last time?" Sazh asked.

The red head shook her head. "Not really, but I'm sure it'll work out this time."

Fang and Sazh just lowered their heads to the table and, almost together, began to bang them on the wood.

X X X

**Author's Notes**

As always, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off this.

Well, here we have the return of Lahna, Sazh, and Dajh. I've been wanting to bring Sazh back into things for a while now, but I couldn't fit him in until this chapter. For those of you who are curious, I chose to use the term 'flannel cakes' rather than pancakes, because it's a much older phrase, and was actually used in the West. Strangely, the phrase isn't used much anymore and when I asked my twin sister if she knew what it meant, I got a definite 'no'. Hence, I added the author's note in the text to explain the term.

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	15. Chapter 15

**Two Girls and a Gunman**

Sazh looked around the town and felt the corner of his mouth twitch. What a dusty, no good place. The buildings were all beat up and worn and the wood for many of them was rotten. Not more than ten feet away, a big puddle of stagnant water lay in the middle of the road. Still, it was just the kind of place he'd expect a bunch of cutthroats and thieves to hide out.

He rode up to the nearest saloon, which looked to be one of only a few even halfway decent buildings in the whole sorry place. Making sure that both of his guns were in place and fully loaded, he pushed through the swinging doors and let his eyes rove over the people inside. They were a motley bunch, mostly old ranch hands and the like, as well as a few grizzled prospector types. The town drunk was there too, a grey-haired fellow with too many empty bottles of whiskey set out in front of him.

"You looking for a drink there, stranger?"

His gaze flicked over to the bartender and he tipped his head forward a fraction. "Been on the road a while, figure I could use a drink. Make it a bourbon."

The bartender nodded and by the time Sazh got to his stool at the counter, the drink was ready. He shook his head slowly and grinned a fraction. Figures that in a sorry place like this the bartender would be quick to serve and just as quick to ask for payment. He slid the money across the counter and took a sip of his bourbon. His bounties weren't here, but then again, he hadn't been expecting them to be anyway. If he was lucky, there might be a couple of people who knew a thing or two and the bartender was the best place to start.

"You got any other strangers come riding in here recently?" Sazh asked.

The bartender took a quick glance around and then leaned in close. "Might have."

Sazh had been in the game long enough to know what the bartender wanted. He took five gil out and pressed it into the bartender's waiting hands. "Mind telling me a thing or two about these strangers?"

The bartender grinned, all yellow teeth and greedy eyes. "Yeah, stranger, we had some new folks ride in maybe three days ago. There was a whole lot of them, ten, maybe twenty. They came in all roughed up, but they had plenty of cash. They didn't stay here, but I figure they couldn't have gone far. I saw a couple of them drop by town yesterday, so maybe they got a place outside of town."

Sazh nodded. "You got good eyes. Mind keeping them open for me?" He slid another five gill across the counter.

The bartender grinned again. "I could keep an eye or two open."

Sazh watched the bartender wander off to serve another customer. It was good to find someone who understood the way the game was played. Ten gil might sound like a lot, but if he brought the bounties in, he'd be up five hundred gil at the least, maybe one thousand, depending on how many of them he could get. Besides, ten gil didn't just buy information, it bought silence too. The last thing he needed was for some of the folks he was after to catch wind of him.

Pushing away from the bar, he ran a cold eye over the other people in the saloon. It was mighty tempting to see if they knew anything, but these guys looked soft. Even if he paid them, he doubted they'd keep quiet if trouble came calling. The bartender, on the other hand, could be counted on to keep his mouth shut. He'd just have to go looking for information elsewhere.

He finished his drink and left the saloon. It was hot outside and sticky, the kind of weather that made any decent man want to quit the trail for a spell. Problem was, he couldn't do that. Being a hired gun meant exactly that. The boss man might pay, and in this case, pay plenty, but that also meant the boss man set the rules and these bounties were real special. They had to be taken care of, no questions asked, no mercy given. Sazh chuckled. Imagine that, him up against a whole gang of bandits. Not exactly good odds, but he'd stared down worse before, and at least they didn't know that he was out gunning for them. A bit of surprise and some luck and he'd walk out this a very wealthy man.

Just then, he caught a flash of movement from the alley out back of the saloon. Had someone spotted him, was he being tailing? He looked around for a moment to make sure that no one else was looking and then headed over to take a look. If someone was following him, he'd have to deal with them. But when he looked into the alleyway, he could only sigh and shake his head. There were two girls there, young ones too, maybe eight or nine years old. They were scrounging through the garbage, probably looking for food. All up, it was pretty pitiful sight, something he hadn't really seen since his time back east in the big cities. Out West, either someone took you in, or you ended up dead.

The two girls startled something fierce when they noticed him and he put both his hands up to show he meant no harm. The taller one, a girl with a shaggy mop of brown-black hair and emerald eyes stepped forward and glared at him. The look in her eyes almost made him take a step. Those weren't a kid's eyes, no way. Those were a killer's eyes. Almost without thinking, his hands dropped to the guns at his side, but then he softened. She'd stepped in front of the littler kid, the one with orange-red hair. So she thought he'd give them trouble, did she? They didn't look sisters, but maybe they were. He'd certainly seen stranger things.

"I'm not looking to make trouble for you, kid," Sazh said. He moved his hands back into the open. "Just heard a noise is all and came to check it out. Town like this, well, you got to be careful." He turned and glanced back over his shoulder. "You two just keep doing what you're doing, it's none of my business anyway. Keep an eye and ear out though, I doubt they'd take too kindly to your messing round back here."

And with that he walked away. Before he left though, he went back to his chocobo and dug through his supplies. He left a loaf of bread right the entrance of the alley where the two girls couldn't help but see it. It wasn't like he needed it anyway, and when it came right down to it, he didn't even like bread all that much. Damn, maybe he was getting too soft to stay in the game.

He found a run down boarding house out near the edge of town. He'd need to poke around a bit to see just where the gang was holed up and he figured he might as well get a decent place to sleep while he was at it. He went to bed that night thinking over where he'd go the next day. But in his dreams he saw those eyes again, those emerald eyes so proud and fierce, those eyes that had no business belonging to a kid.

The next morning, he woke up to a commotion coming from outside. Taking a look out the window, he saw that it was market day and there were stalls all set up along the main street. They weren't much to look at, mostly plywood and canvas, but he figured there might be someone there who could tell him what he needed to know.

He took it easy going through the market. The way he saw it, there wasn't much point to rushing things. The first couple of stalls he tried weren't much good. He didn't know a damn thing about sewing machines and he wasn't much inclined to find out more. Sure, he was good with machines, and he had a knack for fixing things, but a gun was what he made his living with. He didn't really care about fresh produce either.

Stopping for a moment, he caught a glimpse of two familiar faces. The girls from the day before were there and they were skulking through the stalls. They were pretty stealthy too, because even if they were dressed in little more than rags, they still managed to avoid getting spotted as they filched some stuff, mostly food. The red head caught sight of him and pointed, but the brunette just grabbed her hand and tugged her off. He was glad. Stealing could get you in all kinds of trouble, especially if you didn't have anyone to see you got treated decent.

It turned out to be a couple of hours before he finally got his lead. There was a fellow selling ammunition and he'd had a couple of big orders come through. Apparently there was a place not too far from town, maybe fifteen minutes ride out where a group of men were holed up. Sazh had a feeling they were the folks he was after, but attacking an isolated place like that was a crazy thing to do. It'd just get him killed and all the money in the world wouldn't do him any good if he ended up dead.

That's when he decided that it was time to look for the bordello. It wasn't for him, but if there was one thing he knew about these rough types, it was that they liked a good bordello as much as anything else. He fronted up to the building and whistled. Unlike just about everything else in town, it wasn't all that shabby. The paint job out front was gaudy, but he was used to stuff like that.

Inside, it was all fancy, with drapes and carpets and women dressed just right to entice. He swallowed nervously and waited for the madam to make her appearance. It didn't take her long. She could smell money for a mile away, and he had plenty of it. She was dressed in a rich silk gown coloured a light peach and as she leaned right in close, the scent of her was, just faintly, of peaches too.

"What can we do for you, sir?" she asked, dragging one hand up along his chest.

Sazh gently pulled her hand off his chest. He was on a job and that meant he was all business. "I was thinking I could ask you about some men who might have shown up around here recently."

The madam raised one delicate eyebrow. "You're not sly are you?"

"Sly?" Sazh shook his head and chuckled. "Not in the least, lady. I like a good woman just as much as any red blooded man, but there are some fellows I'm on the look for and I'll pay top dollar to find out what I can about them."

"That so?" the madam asked. She eyed him closely, no doubt taking in the clothes he wore and the guns he had. All of them were worn from hard use, but all of them were top-notch quality.

Sazh offered fifteen gil. "Yeah, it is."

She pocketed the money and then smiled, all sweet like. "There was a big group of them just a couple of days back. They said they'd drop tomorrow evening." She smirked. "Figures, even men like that got needs."

Sazh didn't want to hear a thing about his bounties' needs. "That's maybe a bit too much information. Do you know what time they'll show?"

The madam shook her head. "They only said tomorrow evening, so I can't rightly say."

He nodded and tipped his hat. "Thanks, anyway." His eyes narrowed a fraction. "You'll keep this all hushed up now won't you?"

The madam narrowed her eyes right back. "If you're planning on making trouble in my establishment…" She pulled up her skirt a fraction and Sazh had to grin. There was a gun there, and a good one too, if he was any judge.

"Don't worry, I'm not looking to bring trouble to your establishment," Sazh said. "But I got business with those men and one way or another I'll see it through."

"One of those types, eh?" the madam said as she once again eyed the two guns at his side, their grips worn from heavy use.

"You could say that." Sazh turned on his heel. "Just remember this: you keep this quiet and I'll have more gil headed your way. Besides, I'll see to it they turn up to your place and pay before I settle with them. Sound fair?"

The madam chuckled. "I like the way you're thinking."

Sazh left the bordello and headed back for the boarding house. If the whole gang was in one place, he might have to deal with as many as twenty of them. That was too many for him to come out on top of in a fair fight, and it wasn't like he could stage a gunfight in the bordello. He'd given his word and more than that, there was too much chance that he'd drag civilians into things and he didn't want to make a mess. Way he saw it, a man had a right to make a living by the barrel of his gun, but he had a duty to see that he didn't impose too much on decent folk who were just trying to make a living without causing trouble.

That left him in a bind. He needed to find a way to ambush them and that meant he'd need a way to watch them, maybe see if he couldn't separate them a little. The problem, he was just one man. He got back to the boarding house and stopped. Those two kids were there again, and if he wasn't thinking wrong, they'd been following him since he left the market.

"You two going to hide out in those alleys all day long?" he asked, turning slowly. "If you got something to say, then out with it."

The black haired girl stepped out of the alley. "You left that bread for us before and you didn't say anything when you saw us stealing in the market. Why?"

Sazh just shrugged. "I figured you were only stealing because you needed to, and like I said before, it's not my problem anyway." He hardened his stare a little. "Now, why are you out here?"

The girl shuffled almost nervously for a moment and then squared her shoulders. "No one's ever helped us before or even treated us decent. I figured I'd say thanks." 

"That's pretty good mannered of you." Sazh looked the girl over more closely, mind working quickly. He needed someone to watch the bordello, someone who wouldn't be noticed. He was pretty certain those bandits would spend the night drinking and carousing before they headed back to their place outside town. A wry smile crossed his lips. While they were at the bordello, he could sneak over into their place and rig the place up nice and dandy with traps. When they headed back, he could spring an ambush and take them out in the confusion. It wasn't perfect, but it seemed a lot better than just going in guns blazing. Problem was, he needed spotters to tell him when they left the bordello, as well as to tell him what condition they were in.

He looked at the girl in front him, her green eyes gleaming, then at the smaller girl still hiding the shadows of the alley. "Tell you what, I got business in town, business of the tricky kind and I could use a couple of extra eyes and ears." He paused. "I'd pay you decently and the work I have in mind isn't too dangerous, at least not compared to what you've been doing."

The girl looked at him, her eyes searching his as if to see if he was a decent, honest sort of guy. Finally, she nodded, as though she'd found whatever it was she was looking for. Slowly, she extended one hand and her lips pulled back into a smirk. "The name's Fang." She pointed over at the girl still in the alley. "And that there, is Vanille."

Sazh nodded and shook her hand. "The name's Sazh." He looked over at the two girls again. "I can't stay out here too long, or someone else might catch me talking to you and maybe put two and two together and I don't want to make more trouble for you two than I have to. Tell you what though, I'll have some food brought round back around dusk. You come round and you can get something to eat while I talk things through."

Fang smirked again. "We'll be there, Sazh." Then she was gone with Vanille, both of them disappearing into the alleys again.

Sazh spent the time until dusk thinking through his plan and looking around town. There were a fair number of spots where those two girls could watch the bordello without being seen unless people were really looking, and even then he doubted if anyone would give them a second glance. That left only the problem of the place where those bandits were staying. Some more gil loosened a few tongues and he managed to get a rough lay out from a couple of prospectors who'd passed by it a couple of times. It'd be a close run thing, but his plan was doable, even if it wouldn't be easy.

When dusk came, he had the boarding house bring an extra big dinner onto the back porch. They knew enough about men like him, all guns and laid back threat, to not ask why he wanted to eat on the back porch, or why he wanted so much food. He didn't have to wait long before Fang and Vanille appeared. One moment he was all alone, the next moment, they were there. It was little eerie, actually, just how quiet they were.

"Well," he said, pulling up two chairs for them at the table as he took a seat for himself. "You two just go ahead and help yourselves." Fact was, he'd already grabbed a bite to eat himself.

The two girls tucked into the food like they hadn't eaten properly in days, which he guessed was probably about right. It didn't escape his notice either that Fang didn't eat as much as Vanille even though she was bigger. In fact, she even gave Vanille some of her own food, even though there was plenty to go around. That just made him surer that they really were sisters or something. He waited until they were done eating before he started talking.

"There are some folk that are going into town tomorrow evening. They're going to head into the bordello."

Fang shrugged. "Folks go in there all the time."

Vanille giggled. "Most of them stay the whole night."

"That's what I'm hoping for," Sazh said. "What I want you two to do, is to keep an eye out on them. I need to know when they leave the bordello and I need to know what state they're in. By that, I mean if they're drunk or sober, if they're looking energetic, or if they're looking tired." He let the seriousness creep into his voice. "You help me out, you'll be getting ten gil." He paused. "Each."

Both of the girls' eyes widened at the sum. Ten and ten made twenty and even for a decent working man, twenty gil was a lot of cash. For someone like them, it was probably more money than they'd ever dreamed of.

Fang looked at him with eyes that were kind of cold. "That's a lot of money for not so much work. Are you playing a trick on us?"

Sazh almost chuckled. She was pretty sharp for a kid – it must come from living out on the streets and fending for two people. After thinking it over a bit, he decided to just come clean with them. "I'll level with you, kid. Those men I'm looking for are dangerous. They're straight up bandits and killers and I've been hired to bring them down. Problem is, I'm just one man. In a straight up fight, I wouldn't last long, but if I can catch them off guard I might have a chance and that's where you two come in."

Vanille looked up at him with wide green eyes. "Are you one of the good guys?"

This time he did chuckle, soft and low, and kind of bitter. "Not exactly, kid, but I'm a damn sight better than they are."

"How are we going to let you know what's going on?" Fang asked. Apparently, she'd accepted things. "If you're going to have us watching them, then you're not going to be too close by, are you?"

"You really are one sharp kid, now aren't you?" He reached over to where he'd set a couple of little mirrors out on the bench. "One of you needs to watch the bordello, the other one needs to be up high somewhere, one of the roofs near the edge of town, so maybe this boarding house. You can use these to catch the light and signal each other, as well as signal me." He looked out to the edge of town. "I'll be up on a ridge outside of town, maybe fifteen minutes ride out."

Fang pursed her lips, but Sazh could see her turning things over in her mind. "Don't we need a code or something?"

Sazh nodded. "Yeah, you're right. I'll keep it simple. If they're headed out and they're all in good shape then you catch the light nice and steady. If they're headed out and they're all in bad shape – and if I'm lucky they will be – you do a couple of little bursts. You got that?"

"That's easy!" Vanille grinned and looked around for more food. "Um…"

"What about tomorrow?" Fang asked.

"Tomorrow, we practice. By that I mean, we'll get into place tomorrow morning and we'll give it a go. Now wait here, I'll get you something else to eat." Sazh came back a few minutes later with some pudding that he'd asked to have made up earlier along with a couple of lamps. "Here, have some pudding. As for these lamps, if things get tricky and those folks I want you to watch set out before the light's strong enough for you to use the mirrors, just use these instead. Once I get your message, I'll signal back the same."

Fang and Vanille both nodded, although both of them seemed just as focused on the pudding as anything else.

Sazh waited for them to finish before he stood. "You'd better get going. Keep out of trouble and I'll see you tomorrow morning."

The next morning Sazh met up with Vanille and Fang out behind the boarding house. After a bit of talking, Fang put herself forward as the one to watch the bordello. That didn't much surprise Sazh. It was the riskiest spot, because if she got spotted there could be trouble. Vanille was smaller, so it made more sense anyway for her to be up on top of the roof of the boarding house.

"Good, we got all this sorted." Sazh smiled a fraction. "Now, I'm going to see if I can't take a peek at where those fellows I'm after are holed up. Wait about half an hour and then see if you can signal me. I want to see if you kids are up to it."

After that, Sazh started the ride over to where he'd heard the gang was holed up. It was only about fifteen minutes, but it wasn't an easy ride. The road was rough and winding, not the kind of thing to take lightly. Lucky for him, the place was at the bottom of a little hollow with a couple of hills and ridges around it. It didn't look too easy to defend, but it was pretty well hidden, which he figured was what the bandits wanted. Keeping as stealthy as he could, he crept over to a ridge where he could see the town and the bandits.

From the looks of things, most of the bandits were holed up in a weathered looking house in the centre of the area. There were a couple of sheds and smaller buildings scattered about, but they looked a little too cramped to be holding more than a couple more people. The house itself was pretty big and solid and if he had to guess, it could probably stand up to pistol fire just fine. Well, that would make things tricky, but he had a rifle back at the boarding house that could take care of that. So how to take care of all the bandits? The house and other buildings would provide a fair bit of cover so a straight up fight was out. His best bet would be try and take them by surprise somehow. His eyes drifted to the narrow path leading to the house and he smirked. He could rig the path with traps, get them all panicked and then pick them off in the confusion. A couple of sticks of blasting powder would have them scrambling for cover and most likely they'd head for the house. If he rigged that with some blasting powder he'd not only take out quite a few of them, he'd have them all nervous about using the buildings for cover and that might be enough. Apart from the building, there wasn't too much cover about, so if they didn't get behind something quick, he could pick them off with his rifle or blow them away with blasting powder.

He ran one hand over his face and chuckled softly. It wasn't exactly the best plan he'd ever come up with, but it was doable and it had to be better than just charging in there. It helped too that the bandits seemed pretty confident. They were making a pretty decent racket inside the house and they hadn't even bothered to post a couple of sentries. They probably figured that small town folk wouldn't have the guts to mess with them. It was a good thing then, that he wasn't much of a small town kind of man.

Just then he caught a flash of light from the direction of the town. He turned to study it a bit and nodded. It looked to be coming from the top of the boarding house. There were a couple more flashes followed by a long, sustained shine. Good, it looked like those two kids caught on pretty quick, which made him wonder some. It was pretty clear that they'd been raised right, at least a little, so where were their parents? Their clothes weren't much normal either, even if they were rags. Never mind, he thought as he signalled back with his own mirror, he could just ask them about it later.

He headed back to town, careful to keep out of sight, and treated Fang and Vanille to a big lunch. It didn't cost much and he did feel kind of sorry for them. They seemed decent enough and twenty gil might give them a chance to get back on their feet. It didn't hurt either, that keeping them well fed would probably keep them loyal too, even if they did both eat just as much a full grown man and then some. After lunch, he headed back to his room. He'd have his work cut out for him in the evening and the next morning so a bit of shut eye was just what he needed.

Sure enough, dusk rolled up and he waited in the saloon till he heard the sound of chocobos. He got out and chanced a look at the bordello and sure enough the bandits were there. As quietly as he could, he made his way out of town and started the ride back up to the bandits' place. He got there pretty quick and took a good long look around to make sure that there was no one else there but him before he finally got to work. He'd brought plenty of blasting powder with him and he rigged a couple of sticks of it onto the door of the house, just beside the doorknob. One good rifle shot and it'd blow. He also rigged up the other buildings and anything else that could be used as cover. Past experience had taught him that if things got bad, blowing everything to bits was a pretty good back up plan.

Once he'd gotten the whole place rigged up nice and dandy, he found a good spot on a ridge maybe thirty five yards out from the house and overlooking the path. It was close enough that he could lob a stick of blasting powder into the area around the house or onto the path and still be able to see the town. Settling in, he made sure to get his rifle and pistols ready, along with a fair number of sticks of blasting powder. After that, it was just a matter of sitting tight and waiting for the signal to come. He yawned. It was a good thing he'd taken a nap earlier.

Morning came and just after dawn, he saw the first flash of light come from the top of the boarding house. He pursed his lips, hoping for the best, and got it as rather than staying steady, the light flashed on and off. Good, the bandits were heading out from the bordello and if Fang and Vanille were seeing things right, they weren't in good condition. He signalled back and waited, listening carefully for the sound of chocobos.

He didn't have to wait long. There were twenty riders in all, and from the way they were all jangling about in the saddle, they didn't look to sharp at all. They were probably drunk and tired, which evened the odds a little more, even if they were still stacked against him. He waited till the last of them had gone round the final bend into where the house was before he grabbed a stick of blasting powder, lit it, and then flung it onto the path.

There was a big boom and the all the chocobos they were riding startled something fierce, a few of them even throwing their riders, as the others skipped about crazily and made all kinds of wild chirping noises. The bandits themselves looked around wildly and he lobbed another stick of blasting powder into the clump of them at the back to get them moving along. Those closest to where it landed were tossed up into the air by the force of the blast and the others began a made dash for the house, most of them just abandoning their chocobos entirely as the big birds got too scared to control. He waited for the first couple of them to reach the door before he shouldered his rifle, took aim, and fired.

The bullet hit the sticks of blasting powder on the door and they went up with a bang. Flames billowed out and bits of wood flew every which way as bodies were flung up and backward, limbs flailing crazily before they crashed to the ground. As good as that was though, the shot had given his position away. They now knew roughly where he was and already they were scrambling for cover.

He drew a bead on one of the bandits still out in the open and fired. The man screamed and went down, blood pouring from a wound high up on his chest. He might not be dead, but he'd bleed out soon enough. Sazh shifted his sights and fired again. Another bandit went down and he reached for another stick of blasting powder, lighting it as he dropped the rifle. There were a few bandits huddled over by one of the sheds and he threw the stick of blasting powder right next to them.

It was ugly work, and chaotic too, but he needed every advantage he could get. Bullets came his way, a wild fusillade of gunfire, but while they knew roughly where he was, they didn't know exactly where and he intended to keep it that way. He brought his rifle up and fired twice more, dropping another two bandits before he discarded the weapon. He'd have to reload, but there wasn't enough time, not with the bandits organising and hiding behind whatever they could use for cover - barrels, logs anything – and making their way over to where he was.

A bullet splintered the bark of a tree next to him and he ducked. Lighting two more sticks of blasting powder, he threw them both, not really caring if they were accurate or not, just needing the time they'd buy him. With a wry smile, he drew both his pistols and charged down the hill. He fired as he went, using the trees for cover and as the bandits reeled from the explosions, one of them setting off another few sticks of blasting powder he'd rigged up to a shed, he managed to drop a few more of the bandits. That made maybe ten of them down and five injured, but with five of them just fine.

Bullets streaked through the air around him and he dove for the cover of a log. There was a bandit over by a spread of barrels and Sazh's eyes locked onto the stick of blasting powder he'd rigged there earlier. He ducked out from behind the log and fired furiously. Two of his shots went wide, a third caught the bandit in the leg, but the fourth hit the blasting powder.

There was a boom and the bandit went flying, along with a few others who'd been nearby. The scrape of boots came from behind him, and Sazh turned and fired on the bandit who'd tried to sneak up on him. Already wounded, the bandit was struck twice in the chest and went down in a shower of red.

A bullet shot past Sazh's ear before another grazed his leg. He cursed and stumbled for the safety of a couple of trees. With him pinned down, a few of the bandits were headed back toward the house and if they managed to get there and hole up, then he was finished. Reaching into his coat for the last stick of blasting powder, he lit it and lobbed it through a window of the house.

The explosion was big enough to blow out all the other windows of the house and Sazh charged at the same time. He fired twice, catching a bandit in the leg and the arm before he closed in and slapped the other man across the face with one of his guns. The man went down and Sazh dove for cover as the remaining bandits let fly with every gun they had. By his count, he still had two bullets left, but there were still four bandits to deal with. Damn, if they'd just give him a couple of moments, he could reload, but they were angry now and not a second went by without a bullet heading his way.

He tucked himself against a fallen bit of rubble and took a deep breath. His leg was hurting something awful now and the bandits were circling around, getting ready to come at him from both sides. Growling to force back the pain, he pushed out from the cover of the rubble and charged. A bullet clipped his side and he stumbled. Somehow, he managed to bring one of his guns up and he nailed the bandit who'd shot him with a single shot right through the head. That left him with one bullet now, and he fired again, desperate, at the second bandit.

The shot went wide and Sazh cursed furiously as he leapt for a pistol that lay on the ground ten feet from the body of a dead bandit hoping with everything in him that it still had some ammunition left. It did and as the second bandit fired, Sazh fired back, striking the man once in the chest and again in the neck. The final two bandits made their appearance then, mad down to their boots and shooting wildly. He grit his teeth and fired back, squeezing the trigger until the gun clicked empty and the two bandits fell to the ground.

With a groan, Sazh got back to his feet and looked around. When no one fired, he gave a sigh of relief and reloaded his guns. He was hurt, but nothing too bad. Certainly, he'd taken worse before. From there, he headed back up to where he'd dropped his rifle before he headed into the house. The inside was all blown out and scorched, but there was a safe there that had broken open. There was a lot of gil inside and he pocketed it and grinned. One of the perks of his contract was that his employer didn't care what happened to any cash he found so long as all the bandits ended up dead.

Back outside, he took one final look around before he whistled sharply for his chocobo. The bird was only a couple of steps from him when he heard a click.

BANG!

He stumbled a few paces and then stopped and stared in shock at the great big patch of red spreading across his shirt. Stunned, he managed to turn around. One of the bandits was lying there, his arm still raised in the act of shooting, trembling as he gathered the last of his strength for one more shot. Sazh reached down for his own weapon, but the bandit beat him to the draw only for his gun to click empty.

"Looks like this is my lucky day," Sazh muttered before he put a bullet in the bandit's head. Barely able to see straight from the pain in his side, he managed to get a rough bandage tied across the wound to try to stop the bleeding. It took about a second for the bandage to soak through with blood and he cursed. He needed to get back to town.

He managed to get three steps before the pain in his side and the loss of blood had him unconscious on the ground.

X X X

"You got lucky."

Sazh groaned and turned his head. The words came from one of the old folks who ran the boarding house. Gritting his teeth, he tried to sit up, but the old man held him down.

"Easy there, son, you're still hurt pretty bad. The doc got you patched up, but really, if it weren't for those kids, you'd have died out there."

Still not sure exactly what was going on, Sazh could only shake his head. "What? Kids? What happened?"

The old man grinned. "I can see you're still out of it a bit. Two kids found you outside of town and brought you back here. It was strange though, they looked a little rough around the edges, and when I asked if they wanted to stay, they just ran off."

"That so?" Sazh chuckled softly. Saved by those two kids. Who'd have thought? "Listen, how long do you think till I can get going?"

"About a week, the doc says, maybe more if you don't get some rest."

Sazh sighed and closed his eyes. "Well, if that's what the doc says, it looks like I'll be taking things easy for a while."

A week and a half later, Sazh was back on his feet, a little sore, but decent enough to travel. He'd gotten word out to his employer about the whole thing and the man had actually come up himself to take a look at things. The bodies were still there and his employer seemed mighty pleased and his being mighty pleased translated into Sazh getting a cool one thousand gil. Right now though, he was just getting ready to head out to his next job, but first he wanted to see Fang and Vanille.

As it was, he didn't have to look far. They'd seen his chocobo out the front and had crept round the back of the boarding house to meet him.

"It looks like I owe you some thanks." He grinned and handed them fifty gil each. "I know our deal was ten gil each, but I figured I owed you a bit extra, what with you dragging me back to town and all."

Fang pushed his hand away and looked up at him. Once again, he was struck by how green her eyes were, how sad and angry, but how strong too. "We don't want the money."

Sazh sighed. "Look, just take it. You've earned it, you know."

Fang shook her head. "We don't want your money. We want to come with you instead."

For a long moment, Sazh said nothing. Finally he spoke, choosing each word carefully. "That's a mighty odd request, kid. You know what I do. You must have seen it when you dragged me back from that place outside of town. Why would you want to tag along with a man like me?"

"Yeah, we saw what you do, but fact is, you're the only one that's been decent to us in years and I've got a feeling you'll do right by us if we come along." Fang had drawn herself up as big as she could be, which all things considered, wasn't all that big compared to Sazh.

"How can you be sure?" Sazh asked.

Fang's eyes met his own and held them, and he was struck once again by the feeling that it wasn't a child he was looking at. "I can read a man pretty well, and I have you figured for a decent one."

"Listen, kid," Sazh began. "I don't know what you're thinking, but –"

Fang cut him off. "We saved your life, so the least you could do is try to save ours." Her gaze hardened. "Me and Vanille, we've been doing okay here, maybe not well, but we've been getting by. But I'm not stupid. We've pretty lucky, and any day that could change. If we stay here on our own, we'll never get anywhere, never be anything. And we can't… we can't just stay here. There's something we have to do, me and Vanille, and we can't die, can't stop, can't rest until it's done." She dragged in a deep shuddering breath. "So we want to go with you. We want to learn how to do what you do."

Sazh took a deep breath. So that was the way of things, was it? He knew someone out for revenge when he saw them, but it had been a while since he'd seen someone so young with a look like that on their face. If he had his way, he'd never see it again. "It's ugly work Fang, the worst kind of work. And what about you, Vanille, what do you want?"

The little read head just wrapped her arms around Fang's middle. "Wherever Fang goes, I go!" As light as the words were, the look on her face, in her eyes, was just like Fang's.

Sazh rubbed one hand across his face. He could say no, could just give them the money and walk, but somehow, somehow he just couldn't. Those eyes of theirs, kids shouldn't have looks in their eyes like that. They should be smiling or laughing, or something stupid like that. If they went with him, they'd end up killers, after all, that's what he was, maybe one on the right side of the law most times, but still, a killer just the same. But they had saved his life, and that counted for something. If he left then whatever it was they wanted to do, whoever it was they wanted to kill, they'd go after them and they'd end up dead. At least if they stayed with him, learned from him, at least then they might have a chance.

"Fine," he said at last. "I figure you kids can tag along, at least until I get sick of you –" He stopped as both Fang and Vanille darted forward to hug him. It was awkward, real awkward, and his side was still pretty tender, but he couldn't help but hug them back a little. He had a feeling that he'd either just made biggest mistake of his life, or maybe, just maybe, he'd finally gotten something right.

"Thank you," Fang said gruffly, her face pressed against his side.

Sazh sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Now, you how about you two let go of me? We can leave tomorrow morning, but right now, you two need to get a bath – you both stink – and we've got to get you some new clothes. You look damn terrible."

Vanille looked up at him with wide eyes. "A bath? New clothes?"

"Yeah." Sazh shook his head slowly. He really was getting soft. "Now come on, I'll get you two a room at the boarding house and have them draw a bath while I go find you kids some clothes."

X X X

Fang woke up and for a moment, she had no idea where she was. Then she remembered. She was on a train headed for Eden City along with Vanille, Sazh, Lahna, and Dajh. Chuckling softly, she glanced out the window. It was mostly dark outside, the rolling hills lit by the pale light of the moon. She'd had the funniest dream. It was about how she and Vanille had met Sazh all those years ago. Hell, she still didn't know why he'd taken them in that day instead of just telling them to get lost.

Beside her, Vanille was still asleep and she glanced over to where Sazh was. He'd been young that day when they first met, about the same age she was now. But right now, looking at him, she could see that his hair wasn't all black anymore, that there was a fair bit of grey. Not quite sure why, she felt a lump rise in her throat. All jokes aside, he really was starting to get a bit old. She forced the thought back. No, he might be getting a little bit old, but he still had plenty of time left. He had to.

"You got a problem, Fang? You're staring at me pretty fiercely there," Sazh said. Beside him both Lahna and Dajh were asleep. "Please tell me you're not thinking of starting trouble. You know how cranky Lahna and Dajh can get if they don't get enough sleep."

Fang laughed. "Not a chance. Vanille can be pretty vicious too, if you wake her up too early."

Sazh grinned. "Yeah, that's right. Remember during that job out near Nibbleheim? We had to get up a couple of hours before dawn and she went after us with a shovel."

Fang nodded. This was why, all those years ago, she'd asked Sazh if she and Vanille could go with him. He might be a crotchety, cranky kind of fellow a lot of the time, but deep down inside, right where it mattered, he was kind man, a good and decent one, the kind of man who'd been willing to give two kids a second chance they never thought they'd have. "Thanks." She smiled softly. "I know I don't say enough, but thanks."

"Thanks?" Sazh shrugged and then shook his head. "Look, I told you earlier, I don't mind paying for the train tickets. Besides, it's just better that way. The last thing we need is someone recognising you and Vanille."

Fang reached across and punched him gently in the arm. "I wasn't talking about the train tickets, you old coot. I was talking about well… you know, everything."

Sazh's eyes widened as he finally caught on. He turned away, a little embarrassed by it all. "You're picking a funny time to bring up the past."

"Yeah, well, I just thought I'd say thanks." Fang smirked. "And you'd better not die any time soon, old man. We didn't save your life for nothing, you know."

X X X

**Author's Notes**

First of all, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off this.

Well, I though it might be nice to give a bit of background to exactly how Fang, Vanille, and Sazh all know each other. I also thought it might be nice to have Sazh acting all cool for once. When I wrote this up originally, I didn't have the last section with Fang talking to Sazh, but after a bit of thought, I decided to put it in. I like the idea of there being a softer, more thoughtful side to Fang, even if it isn't something she always shows.

On another note, I think that this chapter now holds the record of longest chapter. Hopefully it didn't drag on and on and on…

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	16. Chapter 16

**The Stockman and the Lady**

Snow pulled up in front of the Farron place. Looking it over, he was a little surprised. It wasn't quite what he expected. Somehow, he'd thought that it would be bigger, and even if it wasn't exactly small, it wasn't large either. No, if he had to put a word to the place, he'd call it cosy. The front was pretty weathered and the wooden steps that led up to the front door looked like they'd seen a fair bit of wear and tear, but those things aside, everything else about the place told him how much the people who lived there loved it.

There were repairs along the porch, a lot of them pretty spotty, the kind that a kid might make, along with others on the wall and roof. In other places, the repairs were better, and he didn't have much trouble picturing Lightning up on the roof with a hammer and nails – she was definitely tough enough for that kind of thing – but the thought of Serah up there too brought a grin to his lips. For all that Serah wasn't all that much smaller than her sister, she did seem a good deal more delicate.

Serah.

Funny wasn't it, how just the sound of her name could make him smile. When he'd been just a little kid, he'd seen statues of fairies in some store window. He'd been big even back then and the other kids had made fun of him for staring, but those fairies had just seemed so small, so fragile. And even though he knew that fairies were just make believe, the first time he'd seen Serah, and every time since, he'd been reminded of those statues of fairies in that long ago shop window. Serah was all small and delicate and there were times, especially when he was talking to her, when he didn't think he was good enough to be near her. He chuckled softly. That much he and Lightning probably agreed on.

A lady like Serah deserved the best and he was man enough to know that wasn't him. If he was feeling generous he might say that he was a decent man, a middling sort of man on any of the scales that measured the worth of men. But who could blame him for wanting more, for wanting to maybe hold onto the best, most beautiful thing he'd ever seen?

He got off his chocobo and walked up the steps to the door. His hand was raised up to knock the door when he just stopped and stared. His hands were so big and while he was plenty strong, he was plenty clumsy too. That was another thing that made him nervous about being around Serah. One time when he'd still been a kid, he'd dropped something because he'd been too big and clumsy to hold it right. He couldn't really remember what it was anymore –a picture frame, a vase, a toy? – whatever it was, it had been pretty, and he'd broken it. The last thing he ever wanted to do was break Serah like that.

He laughed. As if Lightning would ever let him do something like that. If the sheriff even suspected that he might do something to hurt Serah, he had a feeling he'd be dead before he knew it. Steeling himself, he brought his hand the rest of the way up and knocked on the door.

For a moment there was nothing and then through the door came Serah's shout. "I'll be there in just a minute."

Snow felt his heart begin to hammer and his hands began to get sweaty. He was a little boy again, all nervous and gun shy, and it took everything he had to keep from doing a little jig on the spot to try and rid himself of the nervous energy. Then the door opened.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr Villiers," Serah said. "I just had to finish up a few things in the house."

For a moment, Snow couldn't think of anything at all to say. He'd invited her to come over and take a look around his place outside of town and she'd actually agreed. He'd expected that she might wear a dress, and if he wasn't honest, she really was just about the best looking thing he'd ever seen in a dress. Right now though, she wasn't wearing a dress. Far from it, and he was having a heck of a hard time not staring.

He swallowed thickly. "I thought I told you to call me Snow, Serah."

But he still couldn't quite get his eyes up to meet her gaze, even though every bit of him that had been raised right and decent was telling him to do the polite thing. It wasn't his fault though, not when she came out looking like that. He was just a man and well, she was one hell of a woman.

Instead of a dress, Serah was wearing trousers and a blouse with a vest over it. The trousers were the fitted kind, hugging the long, slim line of her legs, and he couldn't help but wonder if it wasn't maybe just a bit criminal to hide legs like that under those skirts she always wore, even if they were fine skirts. His gaze trailed up and he flushed, because her blouse, even it wasn't exactly tight, it wasn't exactly loose either, and together with the vest she wore, it only seemed to bring out every feminine curve she had.

In all honesty, the clothes were pretty much normal, just the sort that would be suited to a day's hard work around the ranch or in the saddle, and it wasn't even the first time he'd seen women dressed like that. Lightning, for one, dressed a bit like that and while he'd have to be dead not to notice how pretty she was, no one had ever made him feel quite like Serah was making him feel now.

He must have been staring something awful, because Serah gave a nervous kind of laugh.

"It's not polite to stare at a lady, Snow." Serah's voice seemed a tad reproachful and Snow finally managed to drag his eyes up to meet hers. He thought she might be mad, but there was a pretty little blush across her cheeks, and if he wasn't mistaken, her eyes weren't exactly meeting his either. He shook right down to his boots. Had she been staring at him too?

"Do I… do I look bad, Snow?" she asked quietly.

Was she crazy? "No!" He blurted. A blush spread across his cheeks and he pulled his hat off his head and began to fiddle with it, not even noticing how badly he was mangling it. Odds were it would never fit on his head again. "I mean… uh… um… you look real fine, Serah." Right away, Snow wanted to kick himself. He'd never been much good with words. Serah looked better than fine.

"You think so?" The blush was still there across Serah's cheeks, but there was an uncertainty in her eyes that made him realise that she really didn't know how good she looked.

Snow squared his shoulders and nodded firmly. If she didn't know, he'd have to make it plain. "Yes. You look real good, Serah. Beautiful, even."

The smile he got in return was just about the greatest thing he'd ever seen in his life and Snow had to try real hard just to keep his mind working. He'd had other women smile at him. After all, he was a tall man and powerfully built, and most people seemed to find him pretty easy to get along with too. But none of those women, not even the ones who'd known just how to entice a man, had ever made him feel just plain good to be him, just plain happy to be Snow.

"Thank you, Snow." Serah smiled and turned to close and lock the door. "I'll… I'll just go round back and get Goldie and then we can be off."

Snow nodded, still a little awestruck. "I'll just wait out front here for you."

Just as she was rounding the back of the house to where he assumed the stables were, Serah called out over her shoulder, just loud enough for him to hear. "You know, Snow, I think you look real fine too. Handsome, even."

Snow, who had been climbing back onto his chocobo, fell right out of the saddle. The big mahogany coloured bird just let him fall and when he crashed to the ground with a thud, it pecked at the ground near his feet, clearly not too happy. He got back up as quickly as he could and looked up and down the street. Serah hadn't seen him fall and it didn't look like anyone else had noticed either. Smiling widely – she thought he was handsome! – he got back in the saddle, more carefully this time.

Serah came back riding on a gold coloured chocobo. It seemed to suit her, being all slim and little like she was, but the bird looked light on its feet, and from what he could tell, it was pretty tough too. He had a feeling that Lightning was responsible for that last bit. He waited for her to draw level with him, a little surprised at how easily she handled herself in the saddle.

"You ready?" he asked. Serah nodded. "Then, let's get going."

The ride over to his place would take about an hour if they kept an easy place, and if he was honest, he didn't much feel like rushing. He liked the feel of being in the saddle and having good company only made things better.

"How'd you learn to ride so well?" he asked as they cut across a grassy plain just outside of town. There were a couple of small creeks there too, and a couple of straggly looking bushes.

Serah laughed and patted her chocobo on the neck. The bird made a kind of happy chirping sound. "I grew up out here, remember? And don't forget, I had Lightning for a sister."

"That so?" Snow wondered if Lightning had always be so… well, scary. "I would have thought that Lightning wouldn't let you go out too much. She seems a mite… protective."

"A mite?" Serah actually laughed and the sound of it was like church bells. What he wouldn't give to hear that sound every day! "She's a bit more than a mite protective." Her sapphire eyes shone with mirth. "But I know she only does it because she loves me. She just wanted… just wanted to make sure that if anything ever happened to her, that I could look after myself."

It took Snow a second to work out what she meant, but really it should have been obvious. Lightning was a sheriff and out West, sheriffs didn't exactly have things cut out easy. Fact was, most of them ended up dead not retired. So it made sense to make sure that Serah could look after herself if anything ever happened to Lightning. But he hated how sad she had sounded talking about how something might happen to Lightning. If he had his way, he'd make sure that she was never sounded sad again. She deserved that.

Trying to lighten things up a little, Snow patted the gun at his side with a teasing grin. "So, Serah, tell me something. Can you shoot like your sister?"

Serah just grinned back at him and pulled something from a holster on the saddle. His eyes widened. It was a gun, not a big one, but still a gun. "I won't say I can shoot like her, Snow. I doubt anyone can. But I'm no slouch either, if I have to use one."

There was something about the way that Serah's small hands moved so certainly over the gun that made Snow's throat go dry. Swallowing thickly, he tried to get himself back together. "Maybe you can show me later, Serah."

When they reached the outskirts of Snow's plot of land, it was still only midmorning. Snow pulled up on a ridge overlooking everything and waited for Serah to draw rein beside him. It was a nice view, one that he'd found early, and he always took the time to enjoy if he had the chance. From up here he could see the river that cut right through his plot. It was like a big, shining blue serpent and all along it, the land was a lush, deep green. Near a bend in the river, right where the plot was flattest, was his place, or rather the place he shared with the others.

"What do you think?" Snow asked.

Serah's eyes were bright and the river was shining in them along with the lush green and Snow couldn't bring himself to look away. "It's lovely, Snow, all of it." She smiled and inclined her head at the house. "But wouldn't it be better if we took a closer look?"

Snow looked back at his place and nodded. "Fair enough, Serah."

It was a pretty short ride to the house from the ridge and as they went along, Snow pointed out all the things he and the others had done since they settled. They'd planted a few crops and gotten some fences knocked together to keep any animals out. Closer to the house, they'd put some more fences together and fenced in tight were some sheep and cattle.

"Oh, Snow, we have to come back and look at these more," Serah said as they rode past a small flock of sheep. The fluffy animals were just roaming about chewing on the grass and making a couple of curious noises. Not far off, the cattle were watching them through the fence, their heads moving to follow them as they rode past.

"Of course, Serah." Snow laughed. He should've expected that she might have a soft spot for animals. "But first, why don't I show you the house?"

Serah gave him another sunny smile but inwardly Snow was a little worried. He'd gotten the place tidied up as much as he could before going into town to pick her up, but knowing the others, there was no guarantee that it would stay that way, even if it was just for a few hours. Gadot might listen, but Yuj and Maqui were another matter.

They stopped in front of the house and as Serah dismounted, Snow was there to offer a hand.

"Help you off?" Snow asked.

Serah nodded. "Why thank you, Snow. You're quite the gentleman, aren't you?"

Snow grinned back. "I'd like to think so."

But just as she was about to get out of the saddle, Serah's foot caught in the stirrups and she fell. Or at least, she would've fallen if Snow hadn't reached out and caught her. For a moment, they were pressed right up against each other and Snow was struck again by how small she was compared to him, how delicate. It made him feel all protective and he almost had to force himself to gently lower her to the ground and set her away from him. It was a good thing he did too, because she smelled so nice and felt so good, that it would've been hard to let her go if he'd held her any longer.

"Uh… thank you, Snow." Serah was blushing something fierce and looking away and Snow was pretty sure he wasn't much different.

"No… um… it's fine." Snow fiddled with the saddle of his chocobo, looking it over much too closely.

"You're pretty bold, Snow, making a move on a lady like that."

Both of them jerked around to face the door of the house where a blue haired young man was standing.

Snow scowled. "Damn it, Yuj, don't go saying things like that."

"Language, Snow!" Serah snapped.

Snow flushed. He'd forgotten for a moment that Serah was a schoolteacher and like most schoolteachers, she didn't think too much of harsh language. "Uh… sorry about that."

"Heh. She's already got you whipped down to boy size, doesn't she, Snow?" Yuj taunted and Snow was already thinking about all the things he'd do to him once Serah had gone home.

But he needn't have worried. Serah squared up to Yuj, glaring at him pretty fiercely and narrowed her eyes. "You're not being very polite, young man. Snow's been nothing but a gentleman and you should be one too."

Snow almost laughed at the look on Yuj's face. When Serah was acting like that, it was pretty easy to see her as Lightning's sister. The others came out the front door and he chuckled and then glanced over at Serah. "How about I introduce you to everyone? These are my friends, Serah. The big one's Gadot, the blonde is Maqui." He looked over at Yuj and smirked. "And the rude one is Yuj."

Serah curtsied and Snow almost split his sides laughing as the others did their best to sketch a proper bow. "Nice to meet you all."

Snow looked over at Serah. "And this here, guys, this here is Serah Farron."

"Farron?" Gadot asked and Snow could see that his friend was trying to match the small, delicate look of Serah to the trim lethality that was Lightning and having trouble with it. "As in the sheriff?"

Serah smiled brightly. "Lightning is my sister."

For once, Snow was real glad about that. If nothing else it would make sure the others behaved themselves around Serah. "You hear that? If you fellows act up there'll be trouble, and not the kind I can get you out of either. It'll be sheriff who straightens you out, and believe me, it'll be a straightening out of the painful kind. Now, I'll just be showing Serah around our place a little so try and behave."

Both Yuj and Maqui went a little pale at the mention of Lightning – her reputation alone was all kinds of scary – but they both looked like they still wanted to say something, probably something troublesome. Gadot must have noticed that too, because he plucked both of them up by the scruffs of their shirts as easy as could be and carried them back inside.

"They'll behave just fine," Gadot said to Serah. "Besides, it'd be nice to have a visitor for once. Come on in."

Snow looked over at Serah. There was a taken aback look on her face as she watched Gadot carry off the two younger men, their legs actually kicking helplessly in the air. He was about to apologise, but then she gave another tinkling laugh and smiled at him.

"They're quite… energetic aren't they?"

Snow winced and rubbed the back of his head with one hand. "That's a pretty kind way of putting it." He frowned slightly. "I'm real sorry if they were rude to you or anything…"

Serah just shook her head, her lips still curved into a playful smile. "It's okay. Besides… I was just thinking about how familiar it was."

"Familiar?" Snow was interested now. Serah didn't seem like the type to hang around trouble, but then again, she was there with him.

Serah flushed. "Actually… when I was little, well, I was a bit troublesome. Lightning was always pulling me out of trouble." She giggled. "She used to get into fights sometimes to protect me."

"Well, imagine that, a schoolteacher like you getting into trouble at school." Snow grinned at the embarrassed look on Serah's face. She really was all cute like that. "Now, how about I take you inside and show you around a bit."

X X X

Serah had to hold back a laugh as she took in the inside of the house. It was just so different from the house she shared with Lightning. Serah was a pretty neat person and Lightning was even neater. In fact, her sister tended to get a little cranky if even a couple of things weren't put where they were supposed to be. Some of that though, was probably because she was a sheriff. If there were trouble, it would be any good at all to have to waste time looking for something important. It also wasn't a good idea to have guns and knives and the like just lying around either.

But the inside of Snow's house was different. It was pretty clear that a bunch of men who'd lived most of their lives on the road owned the place. It wasn't that it was dirty. No, it was decent enough, but it wasn't organised too well. There was a sitting room with a couple of tables in it and a bookshelf, but the books were everywhere but the bookshelf and there were several neatly stacked piles of clothes there too. Next to the sitting room was the dining room and this time she couldn't hold back her laugh as she saw that there were still dishes on the table along with what looked to be the left over's from breakfast.

The kitchen was next. It was surprisingly big and well equipped, but from the looks of things, it hadn't been touched in a while, which made her wonder who'd picked everything out. There was a pantry too, which also had a pretty big selection of things, even though it was a little small. The only other places were the bedrooms, which were upstairs, but she was glad Snow didn't show her those. She probably wouldn't stop blushing for a week if he took her up to his bedroom.

As they went around the house, she noticed that the others were all staring at her. The big one, Gadot, was pretty subtle about it, but the two younger ones were looking at her like they'd never seen a woman before. Or maybe, she thought hopefully, it was because Snow had never brought a woman home before.

"So, how'd you all meet?" Serah asked as they sat around the dining table with some coffee set out. It was brewed just how she liked it, strong and with a fair bit of sugar. "I hope you don't mind my asking, but, well, you don't all look like brothers." She winced a little at how blunt her question was, but she really was quite curious.

There was silence for a moment and Serah worried that she might have overstepped her bounds, but then Snow got a sort of funny offended look on his face like she'd just insulted him and then he turned to stare at Yuj and Maqui. "Brothers? Well, I wouldn't mind being brothers with Gadot, but these two?" He smiled brightly. "Yeah, you're right. We're not brothers, at least not by blood. We kind of just met up on the road and well, yeah, we've stuck together ever since."

Gadot nodded and took a long swig of his coffee. There was a bottle of whiskey next to him that wasn't quite full and she wondered if maybe he'd added some to his coffee. It certainly wouldn't be the strangest thing she'd ever seen added to coffee. "You see, years back, Snow was working a job out at one of those cushy ranches back east a bit. Those fellows don't really run ranches to turn a profit. No, they do it more because they can and because they like to think of themselves as being tough. So, anyway, I was working on the same ranch and when the job was done we got to talking and it turned out we were both headed back West the same way." He chuckled. "After that, we ended up taking a couple more jobs at the same places and since we seemed to make a pretty decent team, we just figured we'd just stick together."

Sereah smiled. That made sense. Friends could be pretty hard to make out West, so you stuck close to the ones you did make. "How about Yuj and Maqui?"

"Well," Maqui said with a grin. "We saved these two when they got into trouble."

Yuj nodded. "Yep. These two were just about to get eaten by –"

Snow laughed and cut them off. He grinned and Serah felt her heart skip a beat. "Fact is, we ran into those two on another job. They were working the ranches too, but some of the older folks didn't take to them too kindly so we decided to step in, set things right. A man's got a right to make a decent living without other judging too harshly." He chuckled. "They do come handy sometimes though."

"Oh, come on, Snow, let us have some fun," Maqui whined.

Snow shook his head. "It's one thing to tell tall tales around a campfire, but Serah here's a guest and she deserves the truth. Besides, how'd you think I'd look if I let you lead her wrong?" He glanced over to Serah. "So now you've had a look around the house, how about we head outside again?"

Serah smiled. It was nice talking to the others and they did seem like good folk, but it was Snow she'd come her to visit. "I'd like that."

X X X

Snow led Serah back outside the house and they took a quick ride back up to where the sheep and cattle were. It was a strange thing, Snow thought, to watch Serah moving about with the animals, but she did seem to have a good hand for it. The sheep came right up to her like they'd known her for years and they didn't seem to mind one bit when she ran her finger through their wool or patted them on the head. It was a far cry from how the sheep had treated him and the others the first time. They'd barely managed to get out of the pen alive after the sheep went on a bit of a stampede and it had taken Snow almost a week to get rid of the bruises.

"They seem really nice," Serah said as she patted another sheep on the head. "Your family, I mean."

"My family?" It was a little odd to say it out loud, but now that Snow thought about, that's what they really were. Gadot was like a reliable brother about his own age, maybe a tad older, and Yuj and Maqui were the younger brothers with a nose for trouble. Lebreau, of course, was the bossy older sister that kept the lot of them in line. "I guess you could call them that. And you're right, they are pretty nice, even if they are a little strange sometimes."

Serah laughed a little. She knew just what it was like to have an interesting family. When she'd been younger, she'd had more than one suitor just turn tail and run under sister's glare, to say nothing of what happened when her sister pulled a gun. Snow was actually the first man in a while who'd been man enough to hold his ground against her sister, and that alone told her that he was cut of some pretty stern stuff, even if most of the time he was too easy going for it to show.

"Well," Serah said. "I think all families are probably a little bit strange."

Snow nodded and pulled his hand back as one of the sheep made to bite him. "That I can agree with."

Serah soothed the angry sheep with one hand and then hopped up to sit on the fence of the pen. Even so, she still wasn't able to look Snow in the eyes without tilting her head back a fair bit. "So, tell me Snow, what are you planning to do with this place here?"

Snow grinned. The future was something he was always thinking about, something he'd been working toward and dreaming of for almost as long as he could remember. All those years working for another man, tending another man's land, all of it was so that one day he could have his own place with the people he thought of as family. "I was thinking that I'd get the farm set up. We've got wheat planted now, and some fruits and vegetables too. We've got sheep and cattle, as well, and we're hoping to get a barn set up and some more sheds. If things go right, we won't just be selling cattle for meat, we'll have some dairy cattle too." He glanced back up at the house. "If things go well, I'd also like to get the house done up a bit better. You know, get it done with bricks and stone and with some proper glass windows and everything."

Serah looked over at him and Snow suddenly found it hard to look away. There was a thoughtful look in her eyes, a cool one too, not cold, just considering and quiet and wondering. At the same time, she put her hands on the fence to steady herself and began to kick her legs up and down. It was a strangely playful gesture and a bit at odds with the look in her eyes. "You've really been thinking about this a lot, haven't you?"

Snow nodded. "It was all I could think about during the hard years."

Still holding his gaze, Serah's voice dropped to little more than a whisper. "You ever think about maybe sharing that future with somebody?"

"I don't know." There was blush on Serah's face and he could feel one spreading across his own, but he just couldn't seem to look away. "I guess it depends on whether or not I can find someone I think it's worth sharing with."

Serah was the first to break their shared gaze and she looked past him, out to where the plains gave way to some rough hills. "What was it like on the trail, Snow? I've never really been on the trail and while Lightning's got all kinds of stories, I know there are a fair few she'll never tell me, even if it is for my own good."

Snow shuddered a little. He could easily imagine the sort of stuff that Lightning was keeping from Serah. "Well… it was pretty tough, Serah, I won't sugar coat that. But it was good too. Every night, I'd go to sleep some place new and, every morning, I'd wake up knowing that I was headed some place different. And it wasn't like I was on my own. Or, well maybe, I was at the start, but after I met the others, it wasn't so bad. It was good, actually, real good."

She nodded and closed her eyes. "Keep talking, Snow. Tell me what the sky looked like out there, out where there's nobody else but you and the others hitting the trail."

It would have been so easy to just stand there and stare, she looked so damn perfect there, perched on the fence, eyes closed, head tilted back a fraction to catch the breeze. It felt right too, just shooting the breeze with her. He wanted her to understand him, wanted her to know everything there was about him. "Way out West, the sky is clear, real clear, so clear that sometimes you can't help but think that you can see all the way out to forever." He felt his own eyes drift shut as he dragged up the memories. "And at night, when you're all done working for the day, you can look up and see the stars…"

They spent most of the day out there by the fence, just talking things through. He told her all about his life on the trail and she told him about life her life growing up in Bodhum and about the time she'd spent over in Eden City studying. He'd found that last bit real interesting. He'd never been to one of the big cities and the thought of all those people in one place and all those machines and all the smoke and hustle and bustle made him feel a little sick. The wide open West was where he wanted to spend his days.

It was midafternoon by the time they decided to head back in. Both of them were getting plenty hungry and so a meal was in order. Problem was, he didn't exactly have much in the way of good food in the house. Sure they had plenty of ingredients and while he and the others could cook well enough to keep themselves alive, Lebreau was easily the best cook out of the lot of them and right now she was down at her saloon.

"Sorry, I'll get something together, but I'm afraid we haven't got anything on hand that's too good," Snow said as he sat Serah down at the dining table.

Serah smiled. "Well, you had plenty of things in the pantry. How about I cook you something? Unless you'd think it was rude."

"Rude?" Yuj said, eyes wide with shock. "That wouldn't be rude at all. That'd be just great!"

Snow glared at Yuj. "Serah's a guest here. It wouldn't be right to ask her to cook anything."

But Serah just waved him off. "It'd be fine. Besides, I'm hungry and you'd all be helping too." She looked at Yuj and Snow saw some of that steel he'd come to associated with Lightning bleed through. "You will all be helping, right?"

And with that, Serah got started in the kitchen. It was quite the sight to see, the little woman ordering the whole lot of them around, using the very same voice she used in the classroom with the kids she taught. In no time at all, really, she had the whole lot of them dancing to her tune and the kitchen was all busy as they got the vegetables cut up, the meat prepared, and the soup on the boil. In the middle of it all, Snow did his best not to stare. Serah just looked so right there with the rest of his family, yelling at Yuj and Maqui to keep up, and chatting with Gadot.

"You better hold onto thise one," Gadot whispered as he stood next to Snow at the kitchen counter. He was cutting apples, most likely for an apple pie. "I don't think you'll ever do better."

Snow smiled and nodded. In front of him Maqui was now cowering in front of Serah as she waved a spatula around explaining that he was supposed to peel the potatoes before putting them into the water. "I know. But she deserves better than me."

Gadot chuckled. "Maybe she does, but maybe she'll settle."

"I sure hope so." Snow grinned. "I sure hope so."

"Well, you two did talk the day away," Gadot said. "That's got to be a good sign, right?"

Snow smiled so widely that he was sure that he looked downright silly. "We did talk a lot." It was strange how good the day had been when all he'd really done was just talk.

Soon enough, the food was ready and set out on the table. As they all took their places at the table, Snow took a moment to just stop and stare. Serah had managed to whip up the most delicious looking meal he'd ever seen. There was even a deep dish apple pie there, and it smelled so good that Snow was mighty tempted to just grab the thing and run.

"Dinner is served," Serah said. "Now let's get started."

As they all got stuck into the food, Snow was pretty glad that everyone seemed to be using their best manners. The last thing he wanted Serah to see was four grown men throwing food into their mouths like they hadn't ever eaten a decent meal before.

"So, Serah, where is your sister today?" Snow asked. It had been bugging him a little, and he'd half expected Lightning to be there at the door with a gun in hand when he'd gone to pick up Serah.

Serah smiled. "Oh, she's meeting with a marshal she asked to come out here from back east. A lady by the name of Quistis, I think."

"That so?" Snow mused. Well, that explained things. "I really hope you didn't mind cooking for us today although I have to say, your cooking is top notch and then some, Serah."

Serah reached out slowly to pat his hand. He almost flinched at the contact. "I enjoyed cooking for you, Snow, and today was… it was really good." Her eyes glittered. "Maybe we could do it again some time."

Snow was about to reply when the front door slammed open. As the men jolted to their feet, Lebreau stomped in. She looked mad all the way down to her boots and her shirt looked a little worse for wear.

"What happened?" Snow asked.

Lebreau growled. "One of the drunks got a little grabby. I put him down just fine, but I need a new shirt before the evening rush, not to mention I need to pick up some things from the pantry." She stopped and stared at the food on the table. "Where'd all this food come from? None of you can cook this well." Her gaze shifted from four guilty faces to Serah. "Don't tell me you had Serah here cook for you?"

Snow was suddenly feeling mighty nervous. "She offered…"

"Really?" The look in Lebreau's eyes was plenty cold and all sorts of scary. "How about you explain to me exactly how a guest of ours came to be cooking for us." She grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and practically dragged him into the sitting room.

"Is he going to be okay?" Serah asked as the door to the sitting room shut with a bang.

Gadot reached for the apple pie and cut himself a good sized slice. It smelled just fine and he was sure it would taste even better. "Lebreau won't kill him, if that's what's got your worried. Besides, if he gets all roughed up, you can just nurse him back to health, right?"

Serah couldn't help but blush at the thought of nursing Snow back to health even as the yelling started. Lebreau, it seemed, was just as good at tongue-lashing as she was at serving drinks. Serah giggled as a thought came to mind. Maybe she should introduce Lebreau to Lightning?

X X X

**Author's Notes**

First of all, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off this.

Well, I thought it'd be nice to have another Snow and Serah chapter, especially since Valentine's Day wasn't too long ago. In any case, I like to try and keep things varied a little between the humorous, the serious, and the romantic (and all the stuff in between). If nothing else, it helps keep me sharp writing-wise. I also wanted to see if I could put together a longer chapter centred around Snow and Serah. Finally, I thought it would be a good idea to introduce the rest of NORA.

On another note, a belated happy Valentine's Day to everyone – single or not, I hope you all had fun. Love is a lot like a rollercoaster. There are twists and turns, mind-numbing terror, and a hell of a lot of screaming. It also happens to be a lot of fun.

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	17. Chapter 17

**Money Troubles**

Lightning glanced across the table at the blonde opposite her. "So, what do you think?"

Quistis looked up from the bunch of papers and adjusted her glass a fraction. It was a nervous little of habit of hers, something she'd had for as Lightning had known her. "What I'm thinking, Lightning, is that what you've got here is mighty interesting."

"That so?" Lightning frowned. "Mind explaining to me, exactly what's so interesting?"

"How about you tell me where you got these, first? Somehow, I don't think Cocoon was just handing them out." Quistis' eyes narrowed slightly. "Am I going to have to arrest you, Lightning?"

Lightning was pretty tempted to roll her eyes. Quistis was one of the few people who not only had the guts to joke around with her, but also actually knew her well enough to get away it – not that she'd ever tell Quistis that. "I had some trouble at the Cocoon place just north of here. These were lying around and some of them looked pretty interesting. I figured I might ask you to take a look at them. After all, business matters are more your style, aren't they?"

"I guess that's true." Quistis folded her hands over the papers and sighed. "You've got a lot here and there are bits and pieces missing all over the place. It'll probably take me the whole day to work through this. Still, from what I can tell, it looks like Cocoon's been hiding quite a bit from the government."

"I see." Lightning's gaze flicked past Quistis to the woman sitting by the door of the sheriff's office. She was a little bit younger than the blonde, with silver hair down to about the level of her chin. There was an eye patch over her left eye, while her right eye was a deep, crimson red. "How about her?"

Quistis followed Lightning's look and smiled faintly. Lightning wasn't one to trust too easily, and while the two of them were familiar enough, the same couldn't be said for Fujin. "Her name's Fujin. I guess you could call her my… well, student is probably the best way to put it."

"Student?" Lightning eyed the silver haired woman more intently. Unlike most people, Fujin met her gaze pretty evenly. In fact, that good eye of hers even narrowed a little as she returned Lighting's glare with one of her own. "I didn't know you marshals took on students."

Quistis shrugged. "The fact is, we've been losing a lot of marshals lately. The higher ups figured we might lose less if we had the new marshals tag along with some of the more experienced marshals, you know, learn the trade, so to speak."

"So, she's with you?" Lightning said. Unspoke of course was the rest of her question: could she be trusted?

"Yes, she's with me." Quistis nodded firmly. Fujin could be trusted. "Besides, Fujin's pretty sharp. You asked me here because you wanted a second pair of eyes on all this, well, Fujin here is qualified to give me a hand with that."

Lightning glanced back at the silver haired woman. "That a fact?"

"NOT STUPID." Fujin stood and glared and for all that she only had one eye, Lightning thought she glared better than just about anyone with two. Fujin's gaze shifted to Quistis. "QUISTIS PARTNER."

"I didn't say you were stupid," Lightning said coolly before she turned back to Quistis. "She always talk like this?"

Quistis smiled softly. "That's just her way, Lightning. Besides, like I said, she's pretty sharp." She waved Fujin over to the table where they'd gotten all the papers spread out. "Now, it'll take the two of us most of the day to get through all these. You going to be okay with that?"

Lightning shrugged and inclined her head at another pile of paper on the table. "That's fine. I got a whole lot of paper work that needs doing, anyway." She felt her hand twitch. What she wouldn't give to be able to just take a gun to the whole damn pile. "You two just take your time. If you need a place to stay tonight, I've got the spare room back at my place set up. It should be fine, so long as you two don't mind sharing."

"That's fine."

A ghost of a smile crossed Lightning's lips as Quistis got stuck into the papers. The blonde liked a good puzzle and those papers were right up her alley. Yes, Lightning was pretty sure she'd made the right call in bringing the blonde into things. Quistis had made her name as a marshal going after companies and people who thought that money meant the laws didn't apply to them. Just as important though, Lightning trusted her. Back when Lightning had first started training with Amodar, the blonde had turned up looking to learn from the old man too. Apparently, Amodar really had been quite the marshal back in his day.

The two of them had gotten along pretty decently, mainly because Quistis knew well enough to give Lightning her space, and even after Quistis had headed back east, they'd kept in touch. Quistis had even helped Serah out when she'd been studying in Eden City, making sure that Serah got settled in right and the like. So, when the time had come to ask for a second pair of eyes on those papers, Lightning hadn't hesitated to bring Quistis in.

In the end, it was almost sundown by the time that Quistis and Fujin finally finished looking through all the papers. At the same time though, Lightning's paper work was far from done, but she'd had just about enough of it.

"So, what do you think, Quistis?" Lightning asked.

Quistis gave a sigh and shot Fujin a grateful smile when the younger woman reached over to help work some of the stiffness out of her neck and shoulders. "I'll give it to you straight, Lightning. If I'm reading these papers right, then we've got trouble, big trouble." She paused and took a sip of her coffee. It was about an hour old and pretty nasty, but she needed something to beat back the tiredness a little. "From what I can tell, Cocoon's been hiding their tax obligations for a while now, and not just for a couple of gil. We're talking tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands of gil, Lightning, and that's just for this one place alone."

Lightning's eyes widened. That was a lot of money, so much really, that she had a hard time wrapping her mind around the sum. She was certain of one thing though: people had definitely killed for less. More to the point though, there was a grim look on Quistis' face that she didn't like one bit. "There's more, isn't there?"

"There is. We're missing bits here and there, but some of these papers have me thinking that Cocoon isn't just faking the numbers here. No, I have a feeling they're doing this all over the place and if we apply these same sorts of numbers to other places they own, like say, that mine over in Oerba, then we're talking millions of gil, enough to buy all of Eden City and then some." Quistis shook her head slowly as if she couldn't quite believe the numbers.

Fujin paused in what she was doing, hands still on Quistis' shoulders. "DISAPPEARED. DANGEROUS. TROUBLE."

Lightning waited for Quistis to put things into regular talk.

"What Fujin means is that if you look at the way Cocoon's been spending money over the last few years, there's no sign of all this extra cash. That means that either we're reading these wrong, or else Cocoon's been spending all of this on something we don't know about or haven't been able to track and I don't have to tell you what that means, now do I?"

Lightning nodded. "If they're hiding what they're spending all that money on, then it's probably not something too pleasant." What was it, she wondered. Was it illegal weapons? Slavery? She bit back a growl. "You got any ideas?"

"Not just yet, and these papers don't really give me much of a clue." Quistis' eyes were suddenly deadly serious. "Did anyone see you take these, Lightning? If they did, you could be in some trouble."

Had anyone seen her? Lightning thought back to when she'd taken the papers. They'd been scattered all over the office during her fight with the Bahamut Bandit. She hadn't been at the top of her game after that fight, not just because of the bruises, but also because of that damn kiss, to say nothing of all the explosions that had been going on at the same time. She'd picked the papers up almost at whim and she hadn't really given too much thought to being spotted, but now that she thought about it, it was pretty likely that a couple of people had seen her with the papers.

"What sort of trouble could I be in, Quistis?" Lightning asked. "And can you pin Cocoon down with what we've got?"

Quistis frowned. "Most of what we've got here is pretty circumstantial. Sure, people like us can read between the lines and piece things together, but it'd never stand up in court. No, if we want to pull Cocoon up on this, we'll need more than what we've got." She paused and Lightning was somehow sure that she was picking her next words mighty carefully. "As for trouble, Lightning, you have to realise just what you've got here. Sure, we can't win in a court of law with these, but we could cost them a whole lot of money and make some real trouble for them. Given just how much money and how much trouble, I don't doubt that they'd come after us over it."

"Put it simple, Quistis," Lightning said. "What is that you think they'll do?"

"If they know you've got these, they'll try to keep a lid on things, keep you from doing anything with them. Now if they don't know you well, they'll probably try and pay you off, keep you quiet with money and the like." Quistis' eyes narrowed. "But if they really know you, they won't bother with any of that because they'll know it won't work. Instead, they'll go looking for leverage."

Leverage? Just what did Quistis mean by leverage? And then it all clicked and Lightning understood. There wasn't a whole lot in her life that she really loved, not a whole lot that she really valued. In fact, there was probably only one thing that she could really say she held above everything else, that she'd do just about anything for – Serah. Voice hoarse, Lightning whispered, "Are you saying they'd go after Serah?"

Quistis met Lightning's look calmly, but only just. There was a ragged intensity in the pink haired woman's eyes that made Quistis want to put as much distance between the two of them as she could. "What I'm saying, Lightning, is that for the amount of money that could be at stake here, most people would do just about anything."

In a flash, Lightning was up on her feet. Dimly, she was aware of Quistis and Fujin rising too, but she had eyes only for the door. Along the way, she grabbed her shotgun and rifle, and she was already halfway out the door when Quistis grabbed her by the arm. Had it been just about anyone else, she'd have shot them right then and there. As it was, she had her pistol out and level with the other woman's chest before she even realised what she'd done.

"STOP." Fujin's hand shot out and the silver haired woman wedged one finger behind the trigger of the pistol so that even if Lightning tried to pull to trigger, she wouldn't be able to. "CALM."

Slowly, Lightning realised just what she was doing and lowered the pistol. She'd actually pulled a gun on Quistis. Damn it. But just the thought of something happening to Serah… just the thought that she might lose the one last good and decent thing she had in her life was enough to rob her of the icy calm she'd tried for so long to lose herself in. "I… I didn't mean to pull a gun on you, Quistis."

Quistis nodded slowly. That was about the closest Lightning would ever come to an apology. "You need to calm down. I know how much Serah means to you, but you can't just charge out there with all those guns. Now, tell me, where should Serah be now?"

Lightning took several deep breaths. Her heart was still beating like crazy, but at least now she could think. "She said she had business in town. It's already sun down, so she should already be back at home."

"Then let's go there," Quistis said. "If she's not there, then we can worry."

The trip back to the house was a tense one and Lightning could feel Quistis and Fujin's eyes on her the whole way there. Not that she could really blame them, Quistis, especially. The blonde knew pretty well what would happen if someone had hurt Serah. Back when Lighting had been seventeen, there'd been a brawl down at the saloon and somehow Serah had gotten caught up in it. The younger Farron had taken a right nasty hit to the head and it had taken Quistis, Amodar, and maybe half a dozen grown men to drag Lightning off the man responsible before she killed him. If something had happened to Serah, there would be hell to pay, never mind what the law said was legal.

Lightning almost sagged to the ground when she saw that there were lights on inside the house. She ran up the steps and got the door open as quickly as she could.

"Serah!" Lightning shouted. "Are you there, Serah?"

There was a bit of hustle and bustle from the sitting room before Serah appeared. There was light flush across, her cheeks, but otherwise, she looked just fine. "Lightning? What are you yelling for, is there something wrong?"

Lightning didn't say anything. Instead, she just shrugged off her shotgun and rifle and tugged her sister into her arms. Serah gave a little squeak, but Lightning was too busy checking the younger woman over for any signs of injury to care all that much. She gave a deep sigh of relief. As far as she could tell, Serah was just fine. Still not willing to let her sister go, Lightning eased back a fraction so that she could look into Serah's eyes.

"Are you okay, Serah?" Lightning asked. "You're not hurt anywhere? Did anything happen while you were in town today?"

"I'm fine," Serah replied. "I mean… town?" Then her eyes widened. Wait, that's right – she'd told Lightning that she'd be spending the day in town, when really, she'd spent it over at Snow's place. "Uh… no, nothing happened."

"Good." Lightning hugged Serah again. Serah was fine, just fine. "That's good."

"Um… is there something going on, Lightning?" Serah asked. It wasn't that her sister treated her coldly, or anything, but it wasn't every day that Lightning just came up to her and started hugging her and everything. Squirming a little, because Lightning really was pretty strong, Serah finally noticed Quistis standing there, along with another woman who had an eye patch. "Quistis?"

Quistis grinned. "Lightning, why don't you let your sister go so that we can explain a couple of things to her?" A rumble came from Fujin's stomach and Quistis laughed. "Besides, I fancy we're all a bit hungry."

Lightning pulled away from Serah and cursed inwardly as she felt a blush spread across her cheeks. Now that she knew Serah was safe, she was more than a little embarrassed about how she'd been acting. It didn't help either, that Quistis was smirking at her, or that Fujin was giving her a sort of amused look with her good eye. "Fine. You guys get set up in the dining room and I'll get something whipped up in the kitchen. You can explain over dinner." She glanced over at Serah. "You can help me in the kitchen, Serah." Fine or not, she wasn't quite willing to let Serah out of her sight just yet.

X X X

Serah looked down at the slice of apple pie in front of her and blanched. It wasn't that the pie was bad. No, the pie was actually rather tasty. It was just that right now, her stomach felt fit to burst, it was so full. After all, she'd only gotten back from Snow's place and an early dinner a few minutes before Lightning had turned up with Quistis and Fujin.

In a way, though, she'd been pretty lucky. Lightning had been so worried about her that she hadn't picked up on the fact that Serah had been lying about where she'd spent her day. Under normal circumstances, her sister would have seen right through her there would have been all kinds of trouble. In fact, she was already thinking that maybe she should try and head some of that trouble off by just coming clean, but she had a feeling that if she did, Snow might end up finding out just how good Lightning really was with a gun.

All that aside, it was good to see Quistis again. The blonde and Serah had gotten to be pretty decent friends back when Quistis had come out to learn from Amodar. It was good to see that Quistis and Lightning were still friends too. Not that Lightning would ever be too obvious about that, of course. It amused Serah a fair bit too, to see the slightly jealous look on Fujin's face when Lightning and Quistis were talking. It was a bit cute, actually.

"So are you going to explain what all this is about?" Serah asked as she pushed away her half eaten piece of apple pie. "You three weren't exactly acting normal when you barged in earlier."

And just like that, the mood around the table changed. What little lightness there had been before was gone. Lightning's expression had gone dark and Quistis was suddenly all business. Serah almost wished she hadn't asked, but really, she was much too curious for her own good. Quistis and Lightning shared a look and Serah gave a little growl. She hated not knowing what was going on.

"Just tell me what's going on," Serah said. "I can handle it."

So Quistis did and by the end of it, Serah was pretty sure her face had gone all pale. She was certainly feeling light headed and her stomach felt like a lead weight.

"So you're saying that they might come after us, that they might come after me?" Serah asked. "And just to get leverage on Lightning?"

Quistis nodded. "There's a good chance that's what might happen."

"So what are you we going to do?" Serah asked. Her voice was shaking a bit and she was so very glad when Lightning met her gaze and nodded. That look and that nod were enough to calm her. Lightning would look after her. She always had.

"Our safest bet is to get you some place safe until we've got all this sorted out," Quistis said. "I was thinking we could take you to Eden City. We've got friends there that can look after you and there are some people there who might be able to help us get more evidence on Cocoon. Once all this is over, you should be fine. It shouldn't take more than a few months."

A few months? Serah had to force herself to breathe. It was like her whole life was being torn out from under her. She had classes to teach and… and she'd only just started to really get to know Snow. "Isn't there some other way? I mean… do we even know for certain that they'll come after us?"

Quistis sighed. "We don't know for sure that they'll come after you, but trust me. I've dealt with this sort of thing before and it's better to be safe than sorry." A dark look flashed across her face. "When money is involved, Serah, people will do just about anything."

Lightning nodded slowly. "Money makes monsters out of people, Serah, and there's a whole lot of it involved in this. There's a stagecoach due in tomorrow afternoon. We can take that east to Midgar Town and then catch the train to Eden City from there. I figure we can tell people that something family related came up – after all, mother and father did have friends back east."

Serah forced herself to calm down. It was only just beginning to sink in. "I… I guess."

Lightning reached across the table and took Serah's hand in hers. "I promise we'll get through this, Serah. I'll look after you." Then more softly, Lightning added, "Maybe it would be better if I'd just left those damn papers where I found them."

Serah smiled softly. It was so like her sister to think of things like that, but Lightning wouldn't be Lightning if she could just look the other way when there was wrongdoing. "It's okay, Lightning. I trust you."

X X X

Most of the next morning was spent getting things packed for the trip east. Lightning, of course, didn't have all that much to pack, but Serah was another matter. It was something that had always bothered Lightning. Serah seemed to think that it was fine idea to pack half the contents of the house.

"That's about enough, Serah," Lightning grumbled. "You've got enough clothes for three people packed away."

Serah huffed and glared. "That's only because you haven't got enough packed for yourself. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if you ended up having to go around naked a few days into our trip."

Lightning felt her eye twitch. Serah wasn't in quite the best mood, although Lightning couldn't exactly blame her. Still, that comment was pretty cutting and Lightning had definitely shot people for less. Of course, she wasn't about to shoot Serah, but she could mess with her a little, see if maybe she couldn't stop Serah from moping. She put a dark look on her face. "You talking smart to me, Serah?"

Serah actually stopped what she was doing and stared. "Um…"

Lightning grinned inwardly. Her sister had an adorable little look on her face, like she wasn't sure if Lightning was really angry or not. "Maybe I should teach you some manners, Serah, maybe turn you over my knee?"

A hot blush crossed Serah's face. "What?" Serah squawked, looking at both Quistis and Fujin for support only to find that both women had suddenly made themselves awfully scarce. "You can't… I mean… I'm a grown woman now!"

Lightning grinned, well aware that she looked more scary than anything else. "You're still my kid sister though, Serah." She took one step forward. "Or have you forgotten that?"

Serah took a step back. "Don't you take one step closer, Lightning." She grabbed a vase. "I'm warning you!"

If Serah hadn't looked so serious, Lightning would have laughed. As it was, she let herself smile, a real smile, the kind of smile that was more Claire than Lightning. "Honestly, Serah, you don't really think I'd spank you, now do you?" When Serah continued to clutch at the vase, Lightning couldn't help herself. She laughed. "Put that down before you break it, Serah."

Slowly, Serah put the vase down, although she was still careful to keep it within reach. "I'm not so sure about that Lightning. Remember that time with Mr Cuddles?"

Lightning groaned. Trust Serah to bring that up. At least Quistis and Fujin weren't in the room to hear about it. "Mr Cuddles was my favourite toy, Serah, and I was nine. Besides, I wasn't trying to spank you. I was trying to strangle you."

Serah laughed softly. "Mom and dad were so angry at us."

Lightning's eyes softened. It was so much better to see Serah smiling than to see her worried and fretting over the future. "They were pretty angry."

Serah's gaze was suddenly serious. "Are we going to get through this, Lightning?"

Lightning stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Serah. The younger woman trembled a little and Lightning tightened her hold. If she could, she'd never let anything or anyone hurt Serah, but she was only human, and she was so afraid that this would finally be the time that she messed up and Serah paid for her mistakes. But as long as she was still breathing, as long as she still had the strength to fight, she'd fight for Serah. "I meant what I said earlier," Lightning said. "I'll keep you safe. I'll die before I let harm come to you."

Muffled against Lightning's chest, Serah whispered, "That's exactly what I'm afraid of, Lightning."

It took them until the early afternoon to get everything sorted out. It wasn't just the packing that needed to get done – and there a fair bit of that – Lightning also needed to sort things out with the townsfolk, let them know she and Serah wouldn't be around for a spell. While she was gone, Amodar and a couple of the other locals would be looking after things.

With everything finally sorted, they got all their bags stored over at the post office where the stage coach was due to pull up in a couple of hours. The only thing left to do then was kill the time, and so they headed over to Lebreau's saloon for a late lunch.

Inside, it wasn't all that crowded, and for that Lightning was plenty grateful. She was a little tense. If someone was watching them, then the odds were that they'd make their move when she and the others tried to leave town. That's why she'd not only brought her usual pistol, but also another pistol, her shotgun, and her rifle. If trouble came calling, she'd be more than ready for it. The only downside, really, was that Snow, the big fool, was at the saloon too and he and Serah kept shooting each other looks, and not just any kinds of looks. They were giving each other warm looks, friendly looks, loving looks, even. She could only hope that if push came to shove, he wouldn't get in the way.

As it was, she didn't have to wait long for trouble to come calling. They'd hardly had time to settle down at their table at the back of the saloon when there was a commotion out front. Lightning chanced a look out one of the windows and saw that there were a whole lot of men out there, and not locals either. They were hired guns, most likely, and she didn't believe in coincidence enough to think that they were there for anyone but her.

About a dozen men barged into the saloon and the man who looked to be in charge of the lot of them pushed his way to the front. He was a scruffy looking fellow, the kind of man that Lightning could tell meant trouble from a mile away.

"I'm looking for Sheriff Farron and Marshal Trepe," he said as he pushed his coat back to show the guns he carried. Beside him, the other hired guns did the same. "Our boss would like a word with you two."

Lightning glanced at Quistis and the blonde woman nodded at her. It was up to her then to call the play. She pushed to her feet. "What your boss wants and what your boss gets don't have to be the same."

The man looked her over and she saw his jaw clench. He'd come riding in with a whole heap of men and more likely than not, he hadn't thought she'd have the courage to tell him no. "You're good with a gun, sheriff, we all know that, but even you can't think you'll get out of this unscathed." A couple more hired guns filed in and his gaze flicked over to where Serah was. "Besides, you and your friend the marshal come with us and there'll be no need for anyone else to get caught up in this."

That was a bald faced lie. Lightning knew how things would be. If she and Quistis were fool enough to go off with them, then they'd only end up dead in a ditch somewhere and she didn't doubt that they'd come back to finish things off with Serah and Fujin.

"You're right," Lightning murmured softly before she raised her voice and pinned the man with a glare so fierce that it had him stepping back. "I might not get out of this in one piece, but do you really think you'll do any better?"

The sheer daring of the words had everyone silent for a moment as the two of them locked eyes. No one moved, the hired guns waiting for their orders, and Quistis and Fujin likewise just waiting for Lightning to give the word. All around them, everyone else not involved scurried for the door and out the saloon.

"This is your last chance, sheriff," the man said. "Stand down."

Lightning shook her head. "Not a chance."

CRASH!

The sudden sound had almost everyone turning to see that Aerith had dropped a glass. But rather than looked apologetic or even worried, there was a grin on the brunette's face. And she had good reason to be grinning too. While almost all of the hired guns had turned to see where the noise had come from, Lightning had eyes only for the opportunity the sudden noise presented.

"Now!" Lightning roared as she drew both her pistols and fired.

Her first two bullets caught the leader of the hired guns before he could even turn back to face her. One slug caught him in the chest, the other in the stomach, and then he was spinning in a lazy circle, blood already frothing from his mouth before he crashed against the bar. As he let loose a final, low groan, everyone else burst into motion.

Beside Lightning, there was another crash as Quistis and Fujin upended the heavy table they were sitting at to use for cover and Lightning darted back toward it, firing with both guns.

"Get behind the table, Serah!" Lightning growled as she drew a bead on one of the hired guns and fired. He jerked back, shot through the neck, and her next shot had another hired gun clutching at his chest. "Move, Serah!"

The men were mad down to their boots now and the saloon dissolved into a hail of bullets and broken wood and glass as they returned fire. Lightning grabbed Serah and dove behind the table as shot after shot filled the air. The younger Farron had a panicked look on her face and Lightning took a moment to give her a reassuring look.

"Serah," Lightning said. "It's not too safe here, but you should be fine if we can get you behind the bar. So on my word, we need to go, okay, we need to run for the bar." She glanced over at Quistis and Fujin. "Can you cover us?"

Fujin smiled coldly. "THEY DEAD."

That, at least, needed no translation and Lightning smirked. "That's fine with me."

Then she was pushing out from behind the table, Serah tucked behind her. At the same time, Quistis and Fujin popped out from behind the table, guns out and blazing. They dropped a couple more of the hired guns, one of them knocked back and through one of the saloon's windows, as Lightning and Serah darted for the bar. But there were more hired guns coming through the front door and there was a crash from somewhere in the back of the building that had Lightning pretty certain that there were more coming in through the back door too.

"Serah!" Snow shouted as he made beeline for the two Farron sisters. He wasn't much of a shot, but he had his own gun out and he fired at the hired guns doing their best to put holes in Lightning and Serah. Most of his shots went wide, but one of them caught a man in the throat, and he felt a sudden prickle of shock – it had been a long, long time since he'd been forced to shoot to kill – but he forced it back. Serah needed him.

"You!" Lightning growled as she spotted Snow headed toward them. For a moment, she was tempted to put a bullet in him, but stopped. If nothing else, the fool was pretty big, which meant he'd make a decent shield for Serah. She dropped another hired gun with a shot to the head and jerked her head at Serah. "Get her the rest of the way to the bar and once you get there, keep her there and make sure she keeps her head down. If she gets hurt, I'll make you wish you were dead."

Snow didn't need to be asked twice as he put himself between Serah and the hired guns and ran with her the rest of the way to the bar. They reached the bar and dived over it together, breaking glasses and bottles along the way. In the mean time, Lightning was cutting a jagged path toward some more cover – another downed table – firing the whole time to keep the hired guns' attention on her and off Serah. They obliged with a hail of gunfire and she cursed as several bullets cut through the air only inches from her.

BOOM!

She dove behind the table and looked up to see that Lebreau had grabbed a shotgun from beneath the counter of the bar and fired. One of the hired guns was flying back through the air, blown almost in half, as the others nearest to him scrambled for cover. Lebreau gave Lightning a cheery look and fired again, blood and wood going every which way as she dropped another hired gun. Trust a saloon owner to be keeping something like that underneath the counter.

"You okay there, Lightning?" Quistis shouted from the other side of the saloon.

"I'm fine!" Lightning shouted back. "You?"

"WE FINE." That was definitely Fujin. "LESS TALK. KILL."

Lightning reloaded her pistols and looked back across the room. She'd left her shotgun and rifle back where Quistis and Fujin were, which meant that for the time being she'd have to rely on her pistols. With a growl, she pushed out from behind her table and fired at the men by the saloon doors again. Three of them went down before she was forced to duck again. The table jerked and she hissed as several splinters of wood shot past her. The table was getting much too thin and beat up for her liking.

That was when things went south. The back door of the saloon burst open and more hired guns poured in. She turned to meet them and fired, wincing as their return fire forced her away from the table and up against the bar. A couple of them went down, but then her pistols were clicking empty.

But before the hired guns could take advantage of things, there was a blur of black hair and burgundy eyes. One of the hired guns went flying, knocked halfway across the room as Tifa vaulted over the bar and landed a big jumping kick straight to the middle of his chest. Then she was right there in the middle of them, striking out with fists and feet to all sides.

Damn, Lightning thought, Tifa sure knew how to fight. Taking the chance to quickly reload her pistols, she called for Tifa to get clear.

"Move!" Lightning shouted before she dropped the last couple of men and darted for more cover.

There was a roar and Lightning turned just in time to see that Fujin had her rifle and was putting it to pretty good use. The shot drilled a hired gun right through the chest, along with the man behind him, and as Quistis added her own pistol fire to things, the hired guns were finally forced out of the saloon and back onto the street.

"Lightning!" Quistis shouted as she tossed Lightning's shotgun over to her. "Take that. There are more of them outside. Fujin and I can take the front, you go upstairs and take them by surprise."

Lightning nodded and ran for the stairs. As she did, she took one last look at the shot up saloon. Serah and Snow were back behind the bar, the big man crouched protectively over her sister. Quistis and Fujin were both stalking for the front door and Tifa was busy getting stuck into a couple more hired guns that were trying to break in through the back door. As for Lebreau, the saloon owner herself had a shotgun out and a look of absolute fury on her face as she fired through one of the windows.

As quick as she could, Lightning found a window upstairs and climbed out of it. She circled back around toward the front of the saloon and from the sounds of things, the others were really putting up quite a fight. Quistis and Fujin were out there, both of them crouched down behind barrels or other bits of furniture as they took aim at the dozen or so hired guns outside. Thankfully, most of the locals seemed to have had enough sense to make themselves scared, although there was a bit of dust out near the edge of town that had Lightning thinking that Amodar and a couple of others who were good with guns were headed their way.

She smiled coldly. Amodar was getting a little old and she didn't want to make things too tough for him. She'd have this settled before he had to fire even a single shot.

As quietly as she could, Lightning crept over to take a better position on the roof. She had a clear view of the man who seemed to be in charge of the remaining hired guns and she took a second to steady her aim before she fired. The shotgun roared and he went down, his chest a mass of ruined flesh. The others were quick to turn their guns on her and she squeezed off another shot. The blast was aimed at a hired gun crouching behind a water trough and even though the water trough took the worst of it, enough of the shot got through to have him stumbling back, bleeding from half a dozen places. A second later, he was down for good, nailed by one of Quistis' shots.

Bullets slammed into the roof beside her and Lightning winced as bits of broken shingles went everywhere. She covered her face with one hand and slid off the roof. She hit the ground and rolled to take the worst off the impact, scrambling to her feet as Quistis and Fujin gave her some covering fire. Reaching into her coat, she grabbed a couple of shells and snapped open the breach of her shotgun to load them in.

"How are you two doing?" Lightning shouted.

Quistis chuckled. "It's been a while since I've been in an old fashioned shoot out."

"Well, you don't seem to be too rusty," Lightning shot back as she moved out from behind her cover and fired. One of the hired guns took the shotgun blast full in the chest and flew back through the window of the general store. There were only a few of the hired guns left now, but rather than giving in, they were just fighting harder.

Still, tough as they were, it wasn't long before the rest of them were either dead or out for the count. Fujin had them pinned down with rifle fire, which let Quistis and Lightning get around to flank them on both sides. After that, well, it was pretty simple, especially once Lebreau added her own shotgun fire to the mix, laughing the whole time.

When the dust had settled, Lightning took the time to look over the mess outside the saloon – and it was quite a mess – before she headed back inside to see how things were there. The place was one big disaster. Gunshots had blow apart most of the outer surface of the bar and pretty much all the tables and chairs were shot to pieces. There were also holes in the walls, ceiling, and floor. There was even a hired gun imbedded in one of the walls head first, most likely Tifa's handiwork. And that was to say nothing about all the broken bottles and crockery scattered everywhere.

"That's quite a mess," Lightning murmured.

"A mess?" Lebreau wiped some sweat from her brow and stomped over to one of the hired guns that Tifa had beaten up. He was tied up good and proper and as she drew near, he gave her a snarl. "I'll say." Scowling back, she gave him a big kick right between the legs. He folded instantly and let loose a high-pitched, keening wail that made even Lightning wince. "Those hired guns shot up my saloon, my new saloon!" She kicked him again, in the stomach this time. "How am I going to pay to fix all of this?"

Lightning knelt down and rummaged through pockets of one of the dead hired guns. As she'd expected, his pockets were pretty full of gil. They'd probably been paid just before heading over. "If it makes you feel any better, you can take any money you find on them to pay for the damages."

That seemed to ease Lebreau a little, because she went over to the bar and pulled out a bottle of whiskey. Opening it up, she took a deep swig of the stuff and then offered it to Lightning. "You want some?"

Lightning shook her head. "Thanks for the offer, but no."

Lebreau grinned. "Well, your loss. Still, I have to say, sheriff, you live up to the reputation." She raised the bottle in a rough salute and then leaned over the counter. "You two love birds can come out now."

"It's safe now?" Snow popped up from underneath the bar along with Serah. As annoyed as she was to see Serah with the big fool, Lightning was glad to see that her sister seemed just fine, even if she did look a little shaken.

"Well, it looks like you're not completely useless," Lightning said as she walked over to help Serah over the bar. "Are you okay, Serah?"

Serah smiled weakly. "I'm fine. Snow… he… uh… he looked after me."

Lightning gave Snow a closer look and nodded slowly. There were a couple of nasty scrapes along his side where she guessed a bullet or two must have grazed him, along with a couple of bruises along his jaw. By the looks of things, he'd traded blows with a couple of the hired guns. Still, whatever injuries he'd taken, he had managed to keep Serah safe.

"What was all this about?" Snow asked as Aerith came over. She had some bandages in hand and she would have gotten started on getting Snow's wounds cleaned up if Serah hadn't taken the things from her and started in on it herself.

Lightning watched Serah work on the wound on Snow's side. There was a light blush across the younger woman's cheeks and the look in her eyes was, well, loving. "It's probably better if you don't know."

Snow scowled. "If it's trouble, then I'm already mixed up in it. Besides, you know I'll look after Serah."

Lightning sighed. Somehow, she had a feeling she was going to regret saying anything, but the way Serah and Snow were looking at each other made her want to cry and smile all at once. And Snow had done his best to look out for Serah, even though he hadn't had to. "Fine. You want to know, go find Quistis. She'll fill you in." She glanced out the window and frowned. "We've got another hour or so before the stagecoach gets here, if you still want to tag along, well, I guess you can, but I'm warning you right now, if you get in the way, if you hurt Serah, if you do anything to put any of us at risk, so help me, I'll make you wish you were dead. We clear?"

Snow gulped and nodded.

"Good." Lightning sighed. "So long as we're clear." Bringing Snow along wouldn't just make Serah happy, it'd put another gun on their side, and if today was any measure, they could use every gun they could find. She turned back to Lebreau. "I'm going to go have a chat to some of these hired guns, see if I can't find out who sent them. Care to help?"

Lebreau smiled sunnily. "Why, sheriff, I thought you'd never ask. Are your two marshal friends going to be joining us?"

Lightning looked over at Quistis and Fujin. Quistis simply nodded while Fujin gave Lightning a toothy smile. "I imagine so."

As the four women stalked toward the closest of the hired guns that was still conscious, Snow shivered and glanced at Serah. "You know, Serah, those hired guns were shooting at us not too long ago, but right now, I just about pity them."

Serah nodded. "I do too."

X X X

**Author's Notes**

First of all, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off this.

I'll get right to the point. I didn't really feel comfortable at all writing this chapter and even now, I'm still not sure how it turned out. That said I'm reasonably happy with the end result. When I was first tossing around ideas as to who would be turning up with Quistis, I wasn't sure who exactly to have, but after a bit of thinking, I settled on Fujin. The two of them make a nice contrast, not to mention that the eye patch is just damn cool. The last bit of interaction between Lightning and Lebreau was all added in the last version of this, but I like the way it ended up. The two of them would get along quite well, I think, under the right circumstances. For that matter, the Lightning and Serah scene just before the saloon was also added in the last version.

Finally, I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed so far. This is the first story I've written that's ever made it to 100 reviews, so I'm really quite pleased. It's a milestone, of sorts, and I'm grateful to everyone who helped me reach it. I'm especially grateful to a number of reviewers who have reviewed pretty much every chapter. Your support is definitely appreciated.

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	18. Chapter 18

**Wolf-lions and Role Reversals**

"Look at that!" Fang did her best not to wince as Vanille shouted and grabbed her by the arm. The younger woman yanked her over to the window and pointed wildly out of it like a little kid. "Come on, you're not looking! Look!"

"Fine, I'm looking, I'm looking, just hang on a minute," Fang grumbled.

"See!" Vanille crowed. "It's really something isn't it?"

"Yeah, yeah, I guess it is." Fang had to admit that the view out the window really was something special. She'd heard an awful lot about Cosmo Canyon, but she'd never actually had the chance to see it before. Right now the train was bustling its way across a bridge that overlooked a broad, deep river that wound right through the middle of the canyon. The canyon itself was all red-brown rock with tall, steep sides, and jagged crags and peaks. In the early morning sun, the river shone brightly blue like a long, winding necklace of jewels against the harsher colours of the rock.

"We've got to take a look around when the train stops off," Vanille said. "Who knows when we'll be headed back this way?"

Fang sighed. "Look, the train will only be stopping for a few hours, so we can't get too far." She glanced sideways at Sazh and his family. "Besides, we can't exactly go looking for trouble with them around."

Vanille scowled, although the expression was more funny that threatening. "I wasn't going to go looking for trouble. But we have to try and see those wolf-lion things."

"That is looking for trouble." Fang rolled her eyes. "Those wolf-lion things aren't exactly little and I doubt they'll like you poking them too much." Vanille tried to look innocent, but Fang wasn't about to have any of it. "Yes, I know what you're like, missy, so don't give me that innocent look. I'll look away for one second and you'll be off trying to get one of those things to play with you and it might go well for a bit, but then something will happen and it'll be me who has to pry it off you."

"Aw, come on, it won't end up like that." Vanille pouted again and Fang had to force herself to look away. The younger woman really knew how to play things up, what with those big green eyes of hers and that drooping lower lip. It disgusted Fang that she still couldn't really say no to the younger woman, even now. Looking to maybe foist Vanille off on someone else, she looked Sazh's way – the old man had no problems telling either of them no – but he took one look at Vanille and just grinned before he turned away. Fang grimaced. Trust the old man to abandon her at a time like this.

"Yes, it will end up like that," Fang said finally. "Remember that time you thought it'd be good to try and hitch a ride on a bison?" Vanille winced. "They ended up stampeding and it was up to me to drag you out of there in one piece. Sazh almost had a heart attack."

Vanille frowned. "Well, we were little kids then. I'm much more grown up now." She pouted some more. "And they must have some tame ones in town."

"The answer is still no." Fang felt a little too proud of herself for being able ato hold Vanille off. That feeling lasted for all of a few seconds.

"Well, what about the volcano?" Vanille asked. "They call it the Cosmo Candle or something. How about we go see that?"

Fang made the mistake of looking back over at Vanille and immediately wished she hadn't. Vanille just looked so gosh darn hopeful. But, honestly, she wanted to see a volcano? One that had a nasty tendency of blowing up at the least convenient time possible. Never mind the fact that it was on the opposite side of the canyon. "We are not going to see the volcano. It's too far." Vanille looked absolutely pitiful and Fang sighed. "Well, I suppose we could go find a spyglass or something and take a look at it from a distance. We should be able to see it from the town." Vanille instantly cheered up. "But that's it, okay."

Vanille smiled sunnily and threw her arms around Fang. "You're the best!"

Fang hugged the other woman back and tried to ignore the smirk that Sazh sent her way. Damn, he really didn't miss a trick did he?

Another half hour later, the train pulled to a stop at the Cosmo Canyon train station. It was a cosy looking sort of place, with the faded well-worn look to it that most places between big cities had. Still, it was pretty well kept, being a major stop between Midgar Town and Eden City. The only real problem was just how dusty everything was. It was horrible, actually, and Fang had to tie a handkerchief up in front of her face to stop some of the dust, an action that the others quickly copied.

Dajh, of course, loved having a handkerchief about his face. In fact, Fang had a pretty big feeling that he might end up following in his father's footsteps and doing a bit of bounty hunting, but that was only if Sazh and Lahna let him. Sazh knew well enough the dangers of that kind of life, and Fang wouldn't be surprised if he wanted none of that for his son. Lahna, on the other hand, had it pretty clear in her head that Dajh was going to become a doctor. How exactly, Lahna was so sure the little boy was going to make it as a doctor, Fang wasn't sure, but she wasn't about to ask either.

"So, where to?" Sazh asked. "We got a few hours to kill. Anything you guys want to see?"

Vanille grinned and opened her mouth to speak, but Fang gave her a look. "Umm… I was talking to Fang and she said that maybe we could go get a spyglass or something and take a look at the volcano." She pointed out toward the opposite end of town. The volcano was actually visible, a stout spire of rock with a thin plume of smoke at the top. There was also the occasional flash of something else there, maybe lightning from all the smoke and ash, or maybe lava.

Sazh paused for a moment and then nodded. "That doesn't sound too bad, actually." He lifted one hand to shield his eyes from the sun. "You know, I stopped off here myself once, a while back." What he meant, of course, was before he'd met Fang and Vanille, back during his early days as a bounty hunter. "There's a fellow out here who might be able to give us a hand with that well, if he's still around, anyway. Last I saw him, he was pretty old, and it's been quite a spell since then."

Lahna looked at Sazh out of the corner of her eye and Fang grinned as the man actually flinched. "He isn't one of _those _folks is he?"

Fang smirked. Although Lahna had accepted Sazh's past as a bounty hunter and didn't really hold it against him, she didn't take too kindly to certain people from his past turning up. Like the time a bordello owner had rocked up claiming that she owed Sazh a couple of favours. Lahna hadn't taken very well to that and it had taken both Fang and Vanille to pin Lahna down before she either took a gun or a knife to Sazh, which was a good thing too, because at that time Dajh hadn't even been born yet, and Fang happened to like the kid. It wasn't so much that the other woman had been a bordello owner that got Lahna steamed up – out West just about everybody knew at least one bordello owner – it was that the other woman had the gall to cosy up to Sazh right in front of her.

Sazh shivered but shook his head. "No, honey. Matter of the fact, he's a quite a learned fellow, does a lot of work studying the stars and all that. I suppose you could call him an astronomer. He also does a lot of work on the volcano too, when it's playing up and making it hard to see the sky."

Lahna looked quite pleased at that. "Well then, where does he live?"

Sazh pointed to a building out near the edge of town. It was a tall one and up on a pretty decently sized hill too. It was odd looking, as well, like a big cylinder with a dome on top. Vaguely, Fang remembered something she'd read once and realised what the building had to be. It had to be an observatory. She smiled. If she was remembering right, observatories had great big spyglasses inside – telescopes – and had all sorts of machines inside to move things around. Vanille would definitely have fun poking around and it wasn't too likely that she'd run into any of those wolf-lion things there.

"Let's get going then," Fang said.

The group made their way over to the observatory at a meandering sort of pace. But once Dajh found out where they were going, he'd just about broken into a run and it had taken a firm word and an even firmer look from Lahna to slow him down. Chirpy had helped some too. Apparently the little chocobo wasn't too keen on being jostled around too much. Along the way, Fang kept an eye out for good saloons and other places to eat, not only because she was starting to get a bit hungry, but also because she wanted to eat a hot meal. Sure, Lahna had brought some food along and the older woman was a real good cook, but nothing replaced a nice hot meal.

They reached the bottom of the hill where the observatory was and Fang chuckled as Vanille and Dajh started a race for the top. Of course, if she'd wanted, Vanille could have beaten Dajh up there easily. Sure, Vanille could be a little clumsy sometimes, but she was good on her feet when it mattered and Dajh was still just a little kid. But rather than win, Vanille was careful to slow her pace just enough for Dajh to keep up and when Fang glanced off to the side, she saw that there was a gentle sort of smile on Lahna's face as Dajh scrambled into the lead. Up on the boy's shoulder, Chirpy was making all kinds of encouraging noises.

"Reminds me of when you two were little," Sazh remarked.

Fang looked over at him with a curious look. "That so? I can't remember you letting us win at anything, old man."

"Old man?" Sazh chuckled. "Remember that shooting contest we had when you were twelve." Fang nodded. "Remember how badly you beat me?"

Fang grinned. "Yeah, I beat you so…" she trailed off as she took in the smirk on Sazh's face. Wait… now that she thought about it… She might be as good a shot as Sazh now, and most likely quicker on the draw too, but back then… back then he'd been damn fast, just as fast as anybody she'd ever seen, and definitely the best person she'd ever seen with a gun in each hand, not just flashy, but effective too. Add to that the fact that she'd been some twelve year old kid who was just learning and… "You let me win!" she growled. "I can't believe you!"

Sazh laughed. "You were twelve and you were getting so frustrated about never being able to beat me. I figured I could stand to lose one if it would get your spirits up, keep you motivated." He shot her a sly look. "Besides, you just looked so pathetic pouting every time I beat you. I figure that's where Vanille learned to pout from."

Fang would have gone over to clout Sazh over the head – Lahna wasn't looking – but then she heard a startled shout come from the top of the stairs where Vanille and Dajh were. In a flash, she was moving, taking the steps two at a time as she raced up to see what trouble the pair had gotten into and if necessary to start shooting people. Just behind her were Sazh and Lahna, the former with one hand already on the pistol at his side. Sazh might be a tad slower now than he had been in his younger days, but she'd bet every gil she owned that he could still clear the holster mighty fast is Dajh were in trouble.

What she found at the top of the stairs was not what she expected. Vanille and Dajh were crouched next to some big red _thing_ and they were petting it like it was, well, like it was a pet and not a wolf-lion the size of a small bison. Staring, she could finally understand why people called them wolf-lions. The thing was mostly red, but with orange in some parts along its belly, but there was a definite lion-like look to it. On the other hand, there was also something about the way it moved, and the sounds that it was making that was pretty wolf-like.

"Vanille," Fang asked, voice strained and ready to shoot. "Why are you petting that thing?"

Vanille looked over, still petting the animal. "Well, it was a little surprising when we saw him, and he does look a little scary, but…" She scratched under the wolf-lion's chin and Fang had the urge to rub her eyes. Had it actually just nuzzled back into Vanille's hand? "As you can see, he's right friendly."

A moment later, Fang was even more convinced that somewhere along the line, she must have slipped on the stairs and bumped her head, because Dajh had just climbed up onto the animal's back and rather than throwing him off and taking a bite out of him, the wolf-lion actually let the boy hop on and ride it as it padded over toward Fang. As the wolf-lion ambled over, Fang was suddenly very glad she'd chosen to wear pants. Even though both she and Vanille were in disguise with wigs to hide their hair, the other woman had gone with a cheerful sundress. Pants were better in Fang's mind because they made it easier to run or kick people and they also made it a lot easier to reach for her guns. Right now, she wasn't sure whether she should run, kick the wolf-lion or maybe go for her gun.

"Well, I'll be," Sazh said from behind Fang. "I can't believe it. This critter is still hanging around."

Fang shot Sazh a disbelieving look as the dark-skinned man walked over to the wolf-lion and patted the big animal on the head. The wolf-lion barked a greeting and Sazh grinned like the two were old friends. He gave Fang a wry look. "Don't worry about this fellow. He's about as friendly as they come." He put a hand up to steady Dajh as the boy bounced around. "And Dajh, try to stay still or you'll fall off and crack your head on the ground."

For her part, Lahna seemed a mite reluctant to approach the wolf-lion. It was, well, big and it looked pretty scary, even with Dajh riding on its back, what with its tail lashing the air, seemingly without it even realising it. But Sazh just grinned and pulled her over and before Lahna could say anything, he had her put one hand on the wolf-lion's back.

"See," Sazh said as Lahna slowly ran her hand up and down the animal's back. "He's friendly."

Fang sighed. "You couldn't have maybe told us about this beforehand?" She wasn't really annoyed, not when Vanille looked so happy to be able to actually play around with a wolf-lion, but really, Sazh could have warned them so she didn't feel like she was about to have to fight to the death against an animal that looked like it ate people her size for breakfast.

"Must have slipped my mind," Sazh said amiably. "Now, let's pop in and see if that friend of mine is still about."

"Does this guy have a name?" Vanille asked as she petted the wolf-lion again. It seemed to have taken a liking to her, because it looked content to let her run her fingers through its hair.

"Give me a second," Sazh said as he thought things over. "His name is Nanashi or something… wait… yes, I remember now. He's called Nanaki."

"Nanaki, huh?" Vanille grinned. "Well, that's a good name."

"Anyway," Sazh said, pointing to the door of the observatory, which was open a fraction. "Let's head inside and see if we can't find my old friend."

Inside the observatory, Fang watched with amusement as Vanille oohed and aahed over everything. There were bits of machinery everywhere, from the great gears and pulleys that controlled the telescope's direction, to what looked to be models of the stars and planets.

"So, where is this friend of yours?" Lahna asked.

Sazh shrugged. "The place looks decent, so he must still be around." He patted Nanaki on the head. "Why don't you show us where he is, boy?"

The wolf-lion seemed to understand, because it led them through the observatory to a big balcony that overlooked the town and faced out toward the volcano. It was a good view, especially with the sun shining brightly on everything, so it took Fang a moment to notice that they weren't alone.

There was an old, old man sitting off to one side of the balcony. He had a spyglass pointed at the volcano and he hadn't seemed to notice that they were there yet. But, honestly, the old man was old. He was completely bald and hunched over and Fang couldn't help but wince as he slowly, painfully reached up to adjust the spyglass.

In the end it was Nanaki who went over to the old man and nudged him, a task made a little awkward by the fact that Dajh was still on the wolf-lion's back. The old man nearly dropped the spyglass before he gathered himself and turned. Then his face lit up with surprise as he peered through thick glasses at Sazh.

"Is that you… Sazh Katzroy?" the old man asked before he let loose a wheezing sort of laugh. "Ho ho hoo, it really is you." Moving with a groan, the old man shifted his gaze to first Lahna and then Dajh. "And it looks like you've got a wife and son now too."

Sazh laughed. "It's been a while Bugenhagen. I'm glad to see you're still hanging around."

Bugenhagen laughed. "Hah! I won't die so easily. There's still too much for me to learn, after all." He coughed. "So, what brings you here today after all these years?"

Sazh pointed at the group. "Like you said, those two are my wife and son, Lahna and Dajh." He glanced over at Fang and Vanille. Fang met his gaze and nodded and he nodded back. Bugenhagen was a sharp man, it would probably be a good idea to avoid using their real names. "These two are my friends." He pointed at Fang and Vanille. "The short one's Penelo and the tall one's Fran." He grinned. "Anyway, we were wondering if we could borrow a spyglass of yours and maybe take a look at the volcano. Penelo probably wants to take a look around the observatory too, since we'll only be here for a couple of hours."

"I suppose I could lend you a spyglass and I'm fine with your friend taking a look at the observatory." Bugenhagen laughed. "It's always nice to see a young lady interested in the work that I do." He looked over to a table set out on the balcony. "And while the young folks are looking around at everything, why don't you fill me in on things, Sazh? You don't visit nearly enough."

Sazh smiled at the old man. "Yes, that sounds pretty good." He glanced at Fang, Vanille, and Dajh. "You young folks can stay here. Just holler if there's trouble."

"I doubt they can get up to too much trouble," Bugenhagen said. "And if they do run into any trouble, Nanaki is with them."

Much to Fang's surprise the wolf-lion actually nodded at Bugenhagen's comment and she got the feeling that the wolf-lion was a great deal smarter than she'd first thought. That image was spoiled a moment later though, when Dajh gave a little whoop and kicked his heels to try and spur the wolf-lion on like a chocobo. Thankfully, the big animal took things good naturedly, and merely ambled over to the railing of the balcony so that Dajh could look over at the town and volcano.

They ended up spending the next hour or so at the observatory. Fang, Vanille, and Dajh all took turns with the spyglass. Lahna stayed with them a while, but after a quick glance at the volcano, she went over to chat with Bugenhagen. For all that the old man was mighty odd, he had a quick wit and seemed to know a lot about just about anything. He and Sazh laughed a lot as they talked over old times, and Fang found herself wondering just what else Sazh hadn't told her and Vanille about his past. Nanaki stayed with them, the wolf-lion seemingly at ease as it watched them with one keen eye.

The volcano was really something, even from a distance, and Fang decided that maybe once she and Vanille had finished with Cocoon, they might head back this way. Through the spyglass, she could see that the smoke didn't just come from the top of the volcano. Instead, the smoke came from a whole lot of holes in the ground all along the slopes of the volcano. There were also cracks were lava could be seen and a slow, steady stream of it trickled down from the summit. There were other places too, where the lava had cooled down and formed strange, twisted shapes that jutted awkwardly into the air.

Later, once they'd all had a good long look at the volcano, they wandered back inside to look at the machines that moved the telescope. While she didn't have half the mind for machines that Vanille did, she could admire the kind of skill it took to design and build the machines, as well as the resolve it took to keep them in good order. Sazh came in and had a look too, and Bugenhagen took a few minutes to explain everything, much to Vanille's delight.

Finally though, the time came for them to head off. They were all starting to feel a little hungry and while Bugenhagen offered them lunch, a quick look around made it pretty clear that he didn't have nearly enough food, especially for people like Dajh and Vanille who could eat their own body weight and then some. So, with a promise to drop by the next time they passed through, the group headed back down into town to grab a bite to eat.

"He was a little bit odd, wasn't he?" Vanille asked.

Sazh laughed. "Bugenhagen might be odd, but he's a good man, one of the best I've known." He grinned. "He hasn't changed a bit though and I'm glad about that. I just hope he picks up an apprentice or something, because it'd be a damn shame if all that learning of his got lost."

"That wolf-lion of his, where did he come from?" Fang asked. Even though they'd left, she couldn't shake the impression that the wolf-lion was a great deal brighter than any animal had a right to be. Heck, she was pretty sure that it had laughed at some of Vanille's jokes.

"Nanaki?" Sazh pursed his lips. "Bugenhagen found him when he was little. If I remember right, his parents were killed by some folks passing through, probably for sport, and that left Nanaki all alone. He's been living with Bugenhagen ever since, which is good I suppose. Bugenhagen's old now, but with Nanaki around, the old man doesn't have to worry about anyone giving him trouble." He chuckled. "Nanaki's pretty bright too. Last time I was here, Bugenhagen had him running errands."

"Errands?" Fang raised one brow.

"Yeah. You see, everyone around here knows about Nanaki and the big fellow's pretty friendly when you get right down to it. So when Bugenhagen needs something from town, he just tells Nanaki where he wants him to go and ties a list and some money to his collar. The shopkeepers around here just read the list, hitch whatever is on it up to Nanaki and there you go." Sazh smiled. "It's just like the old man to come up with something like that."

Fang could only nod. "That's one smart wolf-lion."

Dajh tugged on Sazh's sleeve. "What's for lunch?"

Fang grinned. It seemed like the little boy's empty stomach had finally gotten him thinking about something other than how sad it was that Nanaki couldn't come with them to Eden City. Somehow, Fang doubted city folks would be quite so understanding when it came to the wolf-lion.

"There was a nice looking place near the station," Fang said. "I figured we could go there."

"Was it a respectable looking place?" Lahna asked.

Fang knew what Lahna really meant: was it the kind of place that looked like it could break into a gunfight at any moment. "It was fine, Lahna. Besides, I wouldn't take Dajh into any place rough." Of course she had taken Vanille to places that were plenty rough before. Sometimes, the red head just wanted to go looking for trouble, and where better to pick a fight than where all the riff raff gathered?

As it turned out, Fang was right on the money and if she'd been in a less sporting mood, she'd have gloated some at Lahna. The saloon was right next to the train station and was cheerily lit with big windows and good furniture. The crowd there was pretty good too, mostly regular townsfolk along with a decent smattering of folks from the train. Sure, there was card game going down near the back, but the players seemed right friendly with one another and there wasn't a gun in sight. The bar up near the front was well kept too, and the bartender was a young cleanly shaven fellow. All in all, Fang thought, it was the sort of place that even Lahna couldn't fault.

They got a table near the middle of the room and it wasn't long before someone came round to take their order. Fang wasn't the least bit surprised when Vanille ordered much more food than someone her size should be able to eat. Once their food came, Fang took a few moments to look over the crowd. It was an old habit, but one that had saved her life many times before. She saw Sazh was doing it too and the pair of them shared a grin. Her gaze paused for a moment as she caught sight of a silver-haired boy and two people who had to be his parents. She recognised them from somewhere. Yes, they'd on the train, as well.

"Can you really finish all of that?" Sazh asked Vanille as he stared at the food set out in front of her.

Fang smirked. "Remember back when it was just the three of us on the road? We had to go hunting every day just to keep that stomach of hers full."

Vanille growled. "It's not my fault I eat a lot, Fang. I'm a growing girl."

"A growing, girl? Vanille, I think you're just about done growing." Fang glanced over at Dajh who was doing a pretty good impression of a whale, just about inhaling his food despite the disapproving look on his mother's face. "Dajh there though still has some growing to do."

"Stop being mean," Vanille grumbled as she reached over to try and steal some food off Fang's plate, only for the brunette to slap her hand away. "Come on, if you're not going to eat your food, then give it to me."

Fang was about to reply when the swinging doors of the saloon burst open. She turned around, took one look at the people coming in and was tempted to bang her head on the table. Was this some kind of joke?

Three silver-haired men were standing there, all of them dressed in black. Two of them were fairly slender, but the third man was powerfully built, was all muscle, really. All of them, however, were armed, one with a rifle, the big man with a shotgun and the man who looked to be their leader with double barrelled pistol of some kind.

"Nobody move," one of the slender men shouted. "This is a hold up."

Honestly, Fang thought, out of all the places in the world that these fools could have picked to hold up, they had to go and pick this saloon. As the other patrons froze in a mix of fear and surprise, Fang sent Sazh a sharp look. He met her gaze for a moment, glanced over at the men, and then shook his head. His message was clear: don't do anything yet.

She was tempted to argue, but she could see his point. All three of the men were armed and already had their guns out. With this many people in the room, there were bound to be casualties if they tried anything out of the blue. Fang might be a bandit, but she did have her principles.

"Listen folks, because I'm going to be telling you how this is going to go," one of the silver haired men said. "The name's Kadaj and my brothers and I are going to be taking all of your money and valuables. You do just as we say and you'll leave here with your lives. You make a fuss, you make trouble, and we will start shooting and we will be shooting to kill."

There was silence from the other patrons at that and Fang wracked her mind for information. Kadaj – the name sounded familiar but she couldn't quite place it. And then she remembered. A few years back when she and Vanille had first really started making a name for themselves, there had been another outlaw with one heck of a reputation. He'd gone by the name of Sephiroth and he'd been accused of just about every kind of crime there was. Murder, robbery, hell, some people had even said he'd eaten children. Now, Fang had actually tangled with the fellow once, and while that had been a hell of a fight – one that a bunch of marshals had cut short before they could settle things up properly – he hadn't seemed like the kind of person to go around eating children. The murder and the robbery though, she could believe.

Last she'd heard of him, he'd changed his ways to go chasing after some waitress who'd saved his life after a couple of marshals nearly put him down. Anyway, Sephiroth had brothers and she'd heard somewhere along the line that they'd formed a gang of their own. One of them, she remembered, had been named Kadaj and just looking at these three, the family resemblance was plenty obvious. If they were even half as dangerous as Sephiroth then they'd be quite a handful.

"Heh," the big one said as he began to go around the room with a bag, collecting up money and valuables. "This is easy pickings." He laughed. "It won't be long till we're the talk of the West. That Bahamut Bandit hasn't got a thing on us."

"Quiet, Loz," Kadaj said. "Just worry about the job." He glanced over at the other man who held a rifle. "Yazoo, keep an eye out on everyone. If anyone moves, shoot them. Mother won't be pleased if we mess this up. She hasn't been happy at all since brother left to go chasing after that damn waitress."

Well, so those rumours were true? Fang grimaced as she saw Vanille tense. Clearly, her partner was not happy about not getting a mention and she shot Vanille a pleading look to try and settle the red head down. Sure, Fang had no intention of getting robbed, but she needed to wait for just the right moment to make her move. Besides, if she tried anything and Dajh got hurt then Lahna would tan her hide and then some.

As the big fellow continued to make his way around the room, Fang took another quick look around. Yazoo was holding his rifle pretty confidently, and she had no doubt that he knew just how to use it. If it had been a fair contest, with both of them looking to take aim and fire together, she'd have bet on herself to clear the holster first and put him down, but with her gun still in its holster and his rifle already primed and ready it would be a close run thing. With Dajh and Lahna right next to her, not mention everyone else around it was just too risky. Kadaj was a problem too. He stood right by the door to make sure no one could enter or leave. If only someone could set up a distraction.

Loz stopped right in front of them, or rather, right in front of Vanille. Then, to Fang's dismay, he stopped to take a closer look.

"Well, well, well, aren't you a pretty little thing?" Loz said as he reached down to tilt Vanille's chin up.

Fang nearly growled. In her pretty white sundress and her blonde wig, Vanille really was quite a picture, but there was something to be said about looking and not touching. As Loz leaned in closer, she had to clench her fists to keep herself from reaching out across the table and slapping the fool silly.

"Enough, Loz," Kadaj said. "We can't stay here too long. Just grab their things."

Loz grunted and glared back at Kadaj. "Fine."

That little moment that Loz spent looking at Kadaj was all that Vanille needed. She might be only half his size, but Fang knew that Vanille could fight twice as dirty as anyone else. The red head reached up and grabbed Loz by the collar of his coat and yanked him down. At the same time, she tilted her head just so and drove up to catch him with one of the meanest looking head butts that Fang had ever seen.

After that, everything happened in a flash. Loz's shotgun clattered to the ground as he let loose a strangled cry and brought both hands up to his face. In that same instant, Yazoo brought his rifle around, ready to drill a bullet right through Vanille's heart, but Fang was already in motion. Sitting down, she was in no position to go for her pistol. Instead, she flung her glass of water at Yazoo. It hit him squarely in the chest and his gun jerked up and his shot went high.

That left Kadaj, and the leader of the three brothers whipped around, his pistol locked on Fang. But Sazh shoved to his feet faster than Fang could remember him moving in years. For just a moment, he wasn't Sazh the crotchety father who made a living fixing up sewing machines, he was Sazh Katzroy, bounty hunter. His eyes flashed darkly and even as Kadaj tensed to shoot, Sazh's pistol was free and already firing. The silver haired man spun and blood bloomed across the shoulder of his coat as his gun clattered to the ground. He reached for his other gun and Sazh fired again, shooting it right out of his hands, before a third shot hit Kadaj in the leg and dropped him to the ground. The look on Sazh's face was cold, real cold, and Fang was suddenly certain that if Lahna and Dajh weren't around, Sazh would've killed the other man with his first shot.

By this time, Yazoo had managed to recover and Fang stumbled out of her chair and leapt toward him. She slapped the rifle out of his hands, but he was quick to swing out with a punch. He caught her with a punch across the cheek, but she managed to jerk away at the last moment, and that took the sting out of the blow. She replied with a hook across the jaw that had him stumbling back into the counter and he reached back for a bottle and swung wildly with it. She ducked and the bottle sailed wide, smashing into a table as it slipped out of his hands.

With a growl, she drove one knee up into his stomach, dimly aware of the sound of breaking furniture as Vanille tore things up with Loz. Yazoo doubled over but managed to grab at her feet and the two of them tumbled to the ground. Fang rolled as he punched at her head and slammed an elbow up into his jaw. The blow snapped his head back and she managed to slip one leg between them and push. He flew back into the bar and lay there, stunned, and as he tried to find his feet again, she marched up to him and knocked him out with a vicious kick to the chin.

Turning, she saw something that would have made her laugh if things hadn't been so serious. Vanille had somehow found her way onto Loz's back and by the looks of things she was doing her level best to strangle him. She had one forearm around his throat and her other arm braced against it to try and tighten the choke. But Loz was big, really big, and Vanille couldn't seem to get the leverage to choke him. Sazh couldn't get a shot off either, because of how close Vanille was, and Fang could hear him shouting at the red head to let go so that he could shoot him.

That was when Loz somehow reached up and back and wrenched Vanille off his back and hurled her at Sazh. The two went down in a tangle of limbs and Loz took one look at Kadaj and Yazoo and then made a break for the door. Fang lunged after him, knowing that with the distance between them, she wouldn't catch him. And the whole time everyone else just stood there, too scared or shocked to do anything. Figures, they wouldn't think of actually helping.

And that was when the silver haired boy she'd noticed earlier did the strangest thing. Ignoring the warning looks from his parents, he took one little step forward and then stuck out his foot. It wasn't all that much, but it did plenty. Loz tripped over the outstretched foot and went down. But the boy wasn't done yet. Like he'd done it before, he reached over for a chair and swung it full force into Loz's back. The big man cried out, but didn't go down, but it did slow him down enough for Fang to reach him and when she hit him, she made sure to hit him hard enough to put him down for quite a spell. It was only when Loz hit the ground unconscious that some semblance of normalcy returned to the saloon.

"That was some good work there, kid," Fang said with a grin as she ruffled the boy's silver hair with one hand. He frowned and tried to bat her hand away.

"I'm not a kid," the boy said. "And I figured that I should help, especially since no one else was doing anything." He actually looked a little bashful. "It just didn't seem right to leave all of it to you and your friends."

Fang's grin widened. "I have to ask though, you been in a bar fight before, kid? That thing you did with the chair is just about the first thing people learn to do in a bar fight."

The boy grimaced. "I might have."

Well, Fang hadn't actually expected him to say yes, but then again she and Vanille hadn't been all that old when they'd gotten into their first bar fight. They'd won too, although Sazh had helped out a little. "What's your name, kid?"

"Hope," the boy said. "Hope Estheim."

"Well, Hope, that was some good work and you've got my thanks." Fang paused. Yes, it was probably best to not give her real name. "The name's Fran. Did you catch the train out here, because you look kind of familiar?"

Hope nodded and pointed back at the two adults who looked like his folks. The man, his father, Fang guessed, looked a bit embarrassed, whereas the woman looked sort of proud. "These are my folks. We're headed east to Eden City."

"That so?" Fang asked, fishing for a bit more information.

"Yes," the man behind Hope stepped forward. "My name's Bart and this is my wife, Nora." He looked at Fang speculatively. "You sure know how to handle yourself in a fight, Fran."

"Uh…" Fang couldn't exactly tell them that she was a bandit so… "Well, the fact is, I'm a bounty hunter. I've been doing work out West and figured I might head east for a spell, you know, rest up for a while."

A funny sort of look crossed Hope's face and then he broke out into a big smile. "I thought I recognised that friend of yours from somewhere!" He pointed at Sazh. "He's Sazh Katzroy isn't he?"

Fang frowned. Just how had the kid known that? "How'd you figure that?"

Nora laughed. "Our Hope here has an interest in the doings out West, mostly bandits, bounty hunters, sheriffs and the like."

Hope nodded. "Sazh Katzroy sure was something before he retired. He's still famous. Do you work with him?"

"Sort of," Fang didn't want to give too much away. "I met him a while back. So why are you lot headed over to Eden City?"

"Well," Bart said. "I figure there's no harm telling you, seeing as how you just saved us and all." In the background Fang could see Vanille handing everyone back their belongings as someone went to go fetch the local sheriff. "I run a store back West and I've been looking to set up a mail order business. See, there's lot of things you can't get back West, and I figured I might make a contract with a company or two in the east to have things delivered to folks in the West through me, maybe drum up business that way."

Fang nodded slowly. "That sounds like a fine idea. Who're you thinking of working with?"

Bart shrugged. "I had a meeting set up with some folks from Shinra, but I'll be talking to the folks from Cocoon too, seeing as they're just about the biggest company out West."

Well, Fang thought, wasn't that lucky. She leaned forward with a smirk. "Cocoon? Isn't that lovely. Mind telling me a bit more?"

X X X

**Author's Notes**

First of all, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off this.

I know it's been a while (relatively speaking) since I updated, but I wanted to take a bit of a break since I posted up the last chapter of Headed West. Real life has also been kicking me around for the past couple of weeks. All of that aside, I'm back writing again.

This chapter was something I needed to get out of the way, especially since Hope was the only one out of the main characters who hadn't been accounted for. I also wanted to have Fang and her group stop off somewhere, because the journey to Eden City is pretty long and Cosmo Canyon seemed like just the place to stop.

With regards to Nanaki (i.e., Red XIII), I really love the guy, but I couldn't think of a way of having him talk that wasn't utterly ridiculous in the context of the story. That said, he's plenty smart. Some of you might be wondering why I call him a wolf-lion, but really, that's what he looks like (i.e., lion-like but with a number of lupine characteristics). The three brothers were actually the original idea for this chapter, because I needed to find a way to get Hope and his family to meet Fang and the group and actually trust them. Interestingly, when I first started thinking about this chapter, my thoughts were centred on the saloon. It wasn't until I started actually writing that I decided to include the observatory. For those of you looking for subtle (and not so subtle hints) it isn't a coincidence that Sephiroth has given up his career of crime to go chasing after a certain waitress. No virtual cookies for guessing who that might be (she's already made her appearance in an earlier chapter of the story).

Anyway, now that all the characters are in place and headed toward the same place, things should be getting interesting. As an aside, while I was writing this chapter, I couldn't help but come up with a twisted version of a fairy tale involving a chibi-Yuffie, chibi-Vincent, and Nanaki. I might post it at some point, possibly as a side-story to this.

For those of you that are interested, Bugenhagen and Nanaki are both from FF VII, while the three brothers are from FF VII: AC. As for Penelo and Fran, they are two characters from FF XII. I actually chose to have Vanille and Fang use those names as pseudonyms because of how much Penelo's pose from FF XII reminds me of Vanille's from FF XIII (in fact, I'd swear they have the exact same pose…). That and Fran sounds kind of like Fang and both of them are pretty close to nature.

As always, I appreciate your feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	19. Chapter 19

**Hero**

Claire closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair. There just wasn't enough. No matter how much she juggled the sums and tinkered with the figures, there just wasn't enough money to pay for everything. There were things they could sell, of course, and if it came right down to it, maybe they could sell the house, but sooner or later they'd be back where they started. Besides it'd just about kill her to have to sell the house and she knew that no matter what had happened this place, this house, was home for her and Serah and nowhere else would every be the same. She sighed and squared her shoulders. She might not be able to bring their parents back, but she'd be damned before she let Serah lose anything else.

But what could she do? Her job down at the general store paid a little, enough really that if she were on her own then she'd be able to live decently, not well, but decently. But the thing was, she wasn't living on her own. There was Serah to look after, not to mention all the money they had to spend on food and clothes and a hundred other things she'd never really paid much attention to back when their parents had been alive.

And then there was Serah's school. Out West, especially in a middle of nowhere, good for nothing town like Bodhum, schooling didn't come cheap. Claire herself had already stopped going to the school in town to try and support the both of them, but there was no way she'd let Serah skip out on school. Her little sister was smart, the kind of smart that could take a person places, places far away from all the dust and grime and grit. Serah would go to school and she'd go places that Claire – fifteen and doing almost anything just to make ends meet – could never even dream of.

She felt the prickle of tears and forced them back. She'd cried enough already and tears wouldn't help or put food on the table. It was just, well, she knew she wasn't stupid. Back when she'd still been going to school, all the learning, all those numbers and letters and everything had come easy to her, just like they'd come easy to Serah. But someone needed to work and Serah was too young for that, so that just left Claire. So instead of school she spent her days helping the old man who owned the general store stack shelves or work through paperwork and when she couldn't do that, she'd drop by the post office and help around with the cleaning and filing, all the time dreaming of books and things and a future she knew full well she'd never have. But Serah would get that future. She'd make sure of that.

Even if she had to work her hands raw and break her back, she'd make sure that Serah would have the chance to get out of Bodhum, to really make something of herself. Their parents would have wanted that and right now it was the only thing she could do, maybe the only thing she'd ever be able to do. No matter what happened, she'd look after Serah.

Just then, the front door swung open and Claire forced a smile onto her face. Serah couldn't ever know how bad things were. If she did, then she'd just worry herself sick and right now, Claire was doing enough worrying for the both of them.

"Claire!" Serah dropped her bag and rushed over to hug her. "You're home early. How was work?"

Claire felt her smile shake a little and hoped her sister couldn't see through it. "It was okay. Things are a little slow, so the old man cut my hours back a bit, but don't worry, I've still got a job." She grinned. "Besides, I'm sure I can find another job if things get tough. There's always work for the willing."

Serah nodded and Claire was suddenly glad that her sister was so naïve. The fact was, there wasn't really much work at all for a fifteen year-old girl without much of an education, at least not work of the decent or legal sort. "You're always taking care of my, Claire. Why don't you let me help? I could maybe try and find some work too, you know, maybe cut back on school a little…"

Claire shook her head. "You're not cutting back on your schooling, Serah. You're smart, you know, and that counts for a lot, so you just worry about your schooling and leave everything else to me."

"I guess." Serah still looked a little unsure, but Claire knew that in the end her younger sister would take her word for it. She always did.

Serah moved forward and Claire opened her arms to hold her. Claire had never been too big on hugging or any of that, but Serah had always liked being held and with their parents gone there wasn't anyone else to do it. Besides, there was something kind of soothing about it. Serah was the only thing she had left in the whole word and there were times when Claire would wake up scared, really scared, that something had happened to her and she'd be alone, all alone. Holding Serah, feeling the softness of her hair and gentle rise and fall of her chest against her, let Claire know that Serah was still there, was still real. She wasn't alone. She hadn't failed to protect her little sister.

"Now, why don't you tell me about school?" Claire ran one hand through Serah's hair. It was something their mother had done for both of them and even if her hands were clumsy in comparison to their mother's, it felt good to do it. "Well, how are things going?"

Serah sighed and snuggled closer. "I'm doing really well. Mister Gast says I'm just about topping the class even though everyone else is at least a few years older than me!"

"That's good," Claire said as she ruffled Serah's hair again. Mister Gast was a good man who'd come from back east. Apparently, he'd really been something there, but the pressure had got to be too much for him, or things had gotten tricky, and so he'd come out West to start again. He helped them out as much as he could, getting them used books for Serah's schooling and the like, but there was only so much he could do with times being tough. "You keep working hard, Serah, and you can be anything you please."

Serah pulled away and grinned up at Claire. "Well, Mister Gast did say that if I kept doing well he might write some people he knows back east, maybe try to get me a place in one of the universities over in Eden City." She blushed and looked away, but the excitement was easy to see.

"I'm proud of you, Serah," Claire said softly. "And I know mother and father would be proud of you too." This time Claire's smile was real. Serah was only twelve and already thinking about university, and not just any university either, one of the good ones over in Eden City. If Serah could just make it there, then everything would be worth it. She'd be able to go anywhere she wanted and she'd be safe. It was almost too much to hope for, really.

"But I wonder," Serah murmured as she burrowed back into Claire's embrace. "How are we going to pay for everything? There are scholarships and things, but even then…"

Claire stiffened but forced herself to relax. She hated hearing that note of worry in her sister's voice, that hint of fear about things to come. "Don't you worry about a thing, Serah. I'll look after it all. I'll make sure that we've got all the money we need."

Serah shifted so that her head was under Claire's chin and when she spoke her words were a murmur that ran right through Claire's body. "Thank you, Claire, you know, for everything."

But as the weeks rolled on things only got tougher. The dry spell that had hit the area had only gotten worse. People were calling it a full-blown drought and pretty much everyone was suffering. Droughts killed off crops and made it hard for ranchers and the like to raise a decent herd of cattle, and that meant less money to go around, since most people either worked with farmers or ranchers, or relied on their gil to make a living, like the general store.

It wasn't long before the old man who ran the general store let Claire go. It hurt, especially since it had been the best paying job she'd had for a while, but she couldn't blame him. Nobody was buying and he was struggling to find enough money for himself, let alone a girl looking to get paid well enough to support herself and her kid sister.

She was careful not to let Serah know though, and so she spent her days around town hunting for another job, but work was scarce everywhere. The best she could rustle up were a few days work at the post office, but even that didn't last long, and no one else was hiring. She got to thinking that maybe she should leave town, look for work in one of the bigger places, maybe Midgar Town, but she dropped the idea pretty quickly. There was no way that she could leave Serah on her own and it wasn't like she could take Serah with her either. And that wasn't even considering the fact that if she moved someplace else, she'd have to pay for her room and board.

Still, there a few people around town who'd known their parents and been pretty friendly, and she managed to get work from them every now and then. It wasn't nearly enough to cover everything, but it was enough to put some food on the table. Not quite enough food for two growing girls, but enough at least for one of them to eat well. She could only hope that Serah wouldn't notice.

Things came to a head one summer evening. It was hot and muggy and she'd been out all day scrubbing floors and sweeping porches and even then she'd hardly made anything. Then she'd come home to get some dinner ready while Serah read through some books that Mister Gast had given her to push her ahead in her schooling.

"What are you making?" Serah asked.

Claire looked down into the pot in front of her and tried to block out the smell. It was a recipe their mother had passed on to her before things… well… before everything had gone bad and it smelled like good old times and happiness. There was enough in the pot for Serah with a little bit left over for her.

"I'm making mother's soup," Claire said before she emptied everything into two bowls and carried them over to the dinner table.

Serah put her books away and it wasn't long before she was getting stuck right into the food. Claire smiled. She knew for experience that a good solid day's studying could make a person tired. The smile faded from her face though when Serah stopped and looked from her own bowl to Claire's. "How come I've got more than you?"

Claire smiled as best she could. "Don't worry. I had something to eat while I was working. Besides, I'm not all that hungry anyway." It was a lie, of course, but she thought she told it pretty decently.

Still, Serah looked a little doubtful. "Are you sure?" She offered her bowl. "I could give you some of mine."

Claire pushed Serah's bowl back toward her and nodded firmly. "I'm sure. Now eat up, Serah. You've got school tomorrow, don't you?"

Claire stayed up late that night. Beside her, Serah's breathing was soft and even. It was a little odd, maybe, for a twelve year old to not want to sleep alone, but Serah had nightmares sometimes about what had happened and Claire was quick to realise that Serah slept better if they were together. It helped Claire think, as well, and focus. Lying next to Serah, just listening to her breathe and just watching her dream good dreams – it was enough to get her through each day.

Work was going to dry up completely. She could feel it. The drought had only gotten worse and even the people who'd been friendly with her parents, people who wanted to help, wouldn't be able to afford to take her on for much longer. There some savings left over, but she knew they wouldn't last long, especially once winter came and they had to worry about keeping warm.

She felt like laughing. There just wasn't anything to do and she supposed she should be scared, but really, what good would that do? But then a wave of coldness swept through her and she closed her eyes. Well, there was still one place she could go, one place that would hire her and pay well, even if she wasn't well educated or well connected. It was the one place that was still doing good business, even though money was pretty tight. After all, men had needs.

A tear trickled down her cheek. To tell the truth, she'd known that it would end this way. She wasn't stupid and she'd always had a knack for working out how things would go. But looking at Serah sleeping beside her, she tried to tell herself that it wouldn't be so bad. At least she'd get the money they needed.

The next evening, she waited till Serah was asleep and then slipped out of bed. As quietly as she could, she went to their parents' room. It was just like she remembered, because really, they just hadn't had the strength to go in and sort through everything. Looking at herself in the mirror, she nodded slowly. She was a little shorter than their mother, but she was tall for fifteen and still growing, so the difference wasn't all that big. It helped too that she was what most people called pretty. People had always liked her eyes and her hair and while she wasn't quite so buxom as some people, her figure was good enough to draw the eye whenever she wore a dress.

What did it matter, anyway? After all, what did men care so long as she was there and warm and willing? Blinking back tears, she went over to where her mother's clothes were kept and took out her mother's prettiest dress. It was something she'd always dreamed of putting on, but right now, she just felt sick inside. She put on the dress and then went over to put on some cosmetics. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. She was supposed to be older when she put this dress on and her mother was supposed to be helping her with it. She wasn't supposed to be wearing it to go look for work at a bordello.

But life didn't always go the way it was supposed to and right now they really needed the money and the bordello was the only place she could get it. So she'd go there and she'd do what needed doing because she was the only one who could. For Serah, it would be worth it.

Once she was done getting dressed up, she took a moment to stop off at the door to their room. She took one last long look at Serah. Her little sister was there sleeping peacefully with a smile on her face and Claire found herself smiling too. Somehow, it would be fine. She would make it fine. Then she was gone, turning and walking out the door and across to the edge of town where the bordello was.

Each step she took felt like a hundred miles and she knew that there wouldn't be any going back from what she was about to do. She'd seen how the girls in the bordello ended up. Most of them only lasted a couple of years before sickness took them, or else something inside them just plain died and they faded away. A few of them seemed to like the work and got along just fine, but she wasn't sure how much of that was real and how much of it was an act. She could hope she'd be one of them, or that she'd last long enough.

She stopped for a moment and looked down the street at the bordello. It was a gaudy place, lit up even though it was the middle of the night and she could hear the sounds of revelry coming from inside it and see dancing shapes through the windows. If she hadn't known what it was, she might have thought it a decent place, but she knew better. Still, she might as well get used to it. She stepped forward, heart hardened and soul already withering.

"You're a bit young to be heading off to a place like that."

She froze. She knew that voice. Everybody in town knew that voice.

"Sheriff Amodar," she said slowly as she turned to try and find him. Even with the moonlight it was a hard task, but he seemed to be propped up against one of the buildings, just watching the street. "Evening."

The sheriff pushed away from the building he was leaning against and strode out into the street where she could see him properly. He was a tall man, not the tallest she'd seen, but there was a strength about him that made him seem solid as a rooted oak. To be sure, he was heavily built, and in his younger days, she figured he would've been quite muscular, but right now he was a little round at the edges, and his dark hair was mottled with streaks of grey. All the same though, he wasn't a man to mess around with, she knew that much.

Amodar's gaze flicked over to the bordello and then back to her. "You weren't thinking of heading over there were you? That isn't a place for someone like you."

"What I do is my business, sheriff," she said quietly and then even more softly, "Besides, what do you know about me?"

But rather than look angry, Amodar just smiled. It was a little smile, more of a quirking of the lips, really, but there was an honesty to it that Claire could not ignore. "That's true enough, Claire Farron. In fact, I didn't really know all that much about you until a few weeks ago. But I like to keep a track of things in town, and you've been all over town doing odd jobs and things." He paused and his gaze grew serious. "I wondered what a kid your age was doing. You're smart, or at least, that's what people said, so you should be in school. Then I remembered what happened to your parents and I realised you don't have much choice."

Claire felt the tears prickle at her eyes again, but turned her chin up. "Speak plainly, sheriff, what do you want?"

"For starters, do you really think this'll help?" Amodar asked. "Like I said, you're smart. You've got to know that working there won't end up the way you want. Sure, you might be okay for a while, but that place will kill you on the inside and you know it."

Claire clenched her fists. "I haven't got a choice. There's no one else in town offering work and things don't pay for themselves. There's food to worry about and clothes, and Serah has to go to school."

"Do you think that sister of yours would want you doing this?" he asked.

She bit her lip. "Maybe not, but I'm doing this for her." She closed her eyes. "It's the only way she'll ever reach her dreams, the only way she'll ever make something of herself."

"And what about you, Claire? What about you making something of yourself, what about your dreams?" His voice was soft now, and gentle too, and his eyes were so kind that Claire almost wanted to weep.

"Dreams can't put food on the table, sheriff," Claire snarled, and her voice was so vicious that it startled her. She took one step forward and squared her shoulders. "Well, maybe you know a bit about me, sheriff, but I've heard about you too. They say you were a marshal before you headed here and a good one too. Tell me, sheriff, when was the last time you went hungry? When was the last time you had to wonder where your money would be coming from or what you'd have to do to get it?"

She tried to shove past him, but Amodar moved, surprisingly fast for a man his size, and blocked her path again. "You're right, Claire, dreams can't put food on the table, but dreams are what keep you alive inside, they're what keep you going when all the strengths gone from you and you're not sure you can go on." He pinned her with his gaze. "Food may keep your body going, but dreams are what keep you living on the inside, they're what your heart needs, what your soul needs."

She wanted to tell him he was wrong, but she couldn't find the words.

"What's the point, Claire, of living on the outside if you're dead on the inside?" The sharpness was gone from his gaze and Amodar reached out to put one hand on her shoulder. She flinched at first, but she could feel the warmth of his hand and the kindness seemed to flow through him into her.

"What else can I do?" she asked at last, her voice hoarse. "There's no one else offering work and I just… I just… Serah… and…" She looked down and realised that she'd scrunched up twin handfuls of her mother's dress in her fists and dragged in a deep, deep breath. "What do I do?"

"Well, how about you come work for me?" Amodar said. "How does that sound?"

Claire's eyes widened and for several long moments she couldn't speak. Come work for him… "What do you mean?" she asked slowly and then her eyes narrowed. "What kind of work?"

Amodar's smile was gentle. "Not the kind you're thinking." He shrugged. "I'm not a young man anymore Claire and in a town like this there's a lot of work around the sheriff's office that needs doing. I'm talking paperwork, you know, sorting out files and taking dictation." He seemed to notice her shock and he smiled. "Remember, I asked around, and Mister Gast was very firm about you being bright. There're also other things, like keeping the place clean and running errands." He chuckled. "From what I've heard you've picked fights a couple of times too, so I figure you won't mind too much keeping my guns in working order though I won't be too pleased if you go out and shoot somebody."

"Why?" Claire asked. She was crying now, but she didn't care one bit. For the first time in so long, she believed that maybe things might go right again. "Why are you doing this? Why give me the job? There have to be other people…"

"Maybe," Amodar said. "But when you get right down to it, they're not the same as you. Deep down inside, right where it really matters, Claire, you're a good person, an honest person, the kind of person an old man can trust to do the right thing." He caught and held her gaze again, made sure she understood that what he was about to say was very important. "I want to clean this town up, Claire, I want to make it a safe place to raise a family and the kind of place where a person can be proud to say they've come from. I'm the sheriff here and that'll help, but the job's too big for just me." He smiled. "Sure, you're not full grown just yet, but that'll come with time."

"How can you be sure?" Claire asked. "How can you know that I'm the right person for the job?"

"Didn't I just tell you why?" Amodar said. "Besides, I fancy myself a pretty good judge of character and seeing you now and talking with you, I can't shake the feeling that this may be the surest bet I've ever made." He chuckled softly. "Fact is, changing the whole town won't come easy and I'll have to start somewhere and I can't think of any place better than to start with you."

Claire swallowed. This was real. This was happening. He really wanted her to work for him. "How… how much can you pay?"

"You tell me," Amodar said. "How much do you need?"

Her eyes widened. "What if I lie to you?"

He shook his head. "I'd know if you lied, but I don't think you will. You're not that kind of person, Claire, and you know it too."

"I… I'll come work for you," Claire stuttered before she threw herself at him. "I'll come with for you!"

She must have taken him off guard, because he actually stumbled a fraction and had to catch himself. Still the laughter that spilled out of him was friendly enough and he grinned as he pulled away and ruffled her hair in a way that had her itching to slap his hands away.

"Good. I expect to see you bright and early tomorrow morning, Claire. I open the sheriff's office at six each morning and you'd better be there." He sobered. "I won't lie to you, the work will be tough and I figure you'll probably hate me some days, but I'll give you the wage you need and then some." His expression softened again and Claire wondered if maybe he had children somewhere and was seeing them when he looked at her. "Now head on home, Claire. The next time I see you in a dress like that, you'd better be engaged or married."

And then he was gone, faded back into the shadow cast by one of the buildings. For what felt like forever, Claire just stood there, staring at the bordello and what could have been and thinking about what had actually happened. Then she turned and walked back the way she'd come. She was going home, back to Serah, back to her dreams.

X X X

**Author's Notes**

First of all I neither own Final Fantasy nor am I making any money off this.

In case it wasn't clear, this chapter was set in the past, specifically Lightning's (Claire's) past. If you want, you can think of it as a kind of counterpart to the chapter where I showed a bit of Fang and Vanille's past. I'll admit that this chapter is a bit darker than some of the others, but given the subject matter, I think that makes sense. I really do feel that Lighting would do just about anything for Serah. I also wanted to explain just why Lightning holds Amodar in such high regard.

For those of you who are curious, Mister Gast is a reference to Professor Gast from FF VII.

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	20. Chapter 20

**A Man and His Cat**

Fang woke to the sound of something tapping on her window. Careful to keep her breathing slow and deep and even, she reached for the gun on her bedside table and then quickly rolled out of the bed. She brought the gun up level with the window and then sighed. There was nothing there except for the moon and the jagged, twisting shadows of tree branches. The tapping must have come from the wind blowing the branches into the window.

Relaxing slightly, she shifted her gaze over to Vanille. The red head still asleep on a bed across the room and she had her whole body curled around one of her pillows. It looked mighty adorable, but Fang knew from experience that looks could be deceiving. The last time Vanille had crawled into bed with her after a nightmare, the younger woman had almost strangled Fang in her sleep, she'd been hugging her that tight.

Still, Vanille was sleeping pretty easily now and Fang couldn't help but wonder how much longer she could just keep dragging Vanille around with her. It wasn't that Vanille couldn't pull her weight – she definitely could and then some. It was just that Vanille deserved better. She deserved a proper bed with proper sheets and the chance to live a life without always looking over her shoulder. But the last time Fang had tried to go off on her own, Vanille had come after her and given her the biggest tongue lashing of her life. She'd also given Fang an almighty kick in the shins too, followed by a pretty solid whack over the head just for good measure.

Lips curved into a grin at the memory, Fang was about to go back to bed when she heard something tapping on the window again. Just to be sure, she turned around, but instead of seeing just the tree branches brushed up against the window, she saw something else. Her pistol was up in a flash and for a split-second she almost fired before the thing by the window moved and she saw it fully in the moonlight.

It was a cat outside the window, a small black cat with a red collar. What was more, she knew that cat, although it had been nothing more than a kitten the last time she'd seen it. With a quiet chuckle, she walked over to the window and opened it. The cat hopped in and pawed lightly at her leg. Reaching down to pet the small animal, Fang smirked.

"I always figured your owner for a lazy fellow," Fang said as she shook her head slowly, still smiling. "But, really, sending a cat to come get me? That's a new one, all right."

The cat, of course, said nothing, merely continued to rub itself against her leg, purring softly as she ran her fingers through its fur.

"Well, I suppose I shouldn't keep him waiting any longer." Fang went over to her bedside table for her wig. It took her a few seconds to get it on straight and a couple of minutes more to get dressed for a trip outside. "All right then, lead the way."

The cat meowed and then jumped onto the windowsill and out onto the tree. Fang followed, closing the window behind her and very glad that she'd chosen to wear pants, since climbing down a tree in a dress wasn't exactly easy. The cat made it out of the tree in a couple of seconds and was good mannered enough to wait for Fang to get down too, although she wasn't all that far behind, even if it had been a while since she'd indulged in a bit of tree climbing.

At the base of the tree, Fang took a look back at the building she'd just climbed out of. It was the boarding house that they were staying in while they were in Eden City. It was a pretty decent looking place, with white walls on the outside and a roof painted a cheerful sort of green. However, the inside was where the place really looked best. Inside it was all polished wooden floors, plush carpets, and antique furniture.

Strangely enough though, it didn't cost all that much to rent a couple of rooms, even if it was right in the centre of Eden City. That was probably Lahna's doing, she figured. The older woman was right scary when she wanted to be and could bargain the price down on just about anything. And that wasn't even counting the way Vanille could widen those eyes of hers and pout and have people doing anything she wanted in a second or two.

A small paw tapped her on the leg and Fang looked down to find the cat looking up at her. Somehow, she got the impression that it was less than pleased with her dawdling.

"Well, you're the one who knows the way," Fang said. "So if you want to pick up the pace, then get moving."

The cat sort of glowered at her, which was funny because it didn't look the least bit threatening. In fact, now that she looked, the cat didn't even come up to her knees. Waving its tail lazily at her, the cat turned and began to pad quickly down the path toward the fence at the front of the boarding house and from there out onto the street.

Out on the street, Fang lengthened her stride to keep up with the little cat. For all its small size, it could keep up a pretty decent pace. It was strange, but she liked Eden City much better at night. During the day it was all so busy, with people rushing around all over the place. Just getting out of the train station had been a hassle, and she'd been bumped into by a fair number of people. Not one of them had apologised and it had taken a stern look from Lahna and more restraint than she thought she'd had to not grab them and whack them over the head. Hell, out West bumping into somebody and not apologising would likely have led to at least a fist fight and, depending on the moods of the people involved, a good old fashioned shoot out.

At night, though it was a different story. The streets were pretty quiet and not too crowded. There was also something sort of pretty about the fuzzy glow cast by all the gas lit streetlights that lined the sidewalk. With a cool breeze blowing and the occasional clatter of a carriage or wagon, it wasn't all that different from out West.

As she followed the cat out onto one of the busier main streets, Fang bit back a grin. It was just a good thing that Vanille hadn't woken up to see her talking to the cat. The younger girl had called her crazy more than a few times, and talking to a cat certainly wouldn't help with that. In fact, she was starting to get a couple of weird looks from people who had noticed her following the little animal around. Apparently, people weren't too used to seeing someone being led around by a cat.

Rather than say anything, Fang chose to just give the whole lot of them a crazy grin, one that had all but the bravest of them backing up. The cat seemed to find it funny too, because it glanced back at her and sort of nodded in a way that seemed approving. Well, it was nice to know she still got along with animals.

The cat took a turn and suddenly they were walking along a street that ran right alongside the river that cut through the middle of Eden City. It was a beautiful sight in the moonlight, the water lit up by the streetlights and the stars, and Fang took a moment to just stop and stare. The river murmured gently, just barely audible over the noise of the street, and she leaned over the side of the railing and looked down.

Her reflection looked back at her, a little strange looking because of the wig, and she chuckled as the cat hopped up onto the railing and peered down into the water beside her. She ran one hand along the soft fur of its back.

"We make a funny pair, don't we?" Fang said as she patted the cat on the head. It wasn't often that she had a chance to just stop and think like this. Life with Vanille was many things, but quiet it was not. Being a bandit didn't make for a quiet life either, for that matter, and she had a feeling that things wouldn't be quiet for a long time, at least, not if everything went the way she thought it would. Yep, if things went the way she wanted them too, there would be a whole lot of shooting to do, and a fair number of explosions too. She could only hope that all of them would come through things okay. Certainly, she'd do her best to make sure of that.

The cat turned away from the water and batted her lightly on the arm. She smiled. "I know, I know, I'll get going." She looked back at the water for a moment. "Besides, I'm no good at moping anyway. I'll leave that to someone else." She grinned. "Those folks at Cocoon would be a good choice, because once I'm done with them, they'll definitely be moping."

The cat got going again, leading her off the main streets and back into the dimly lit alleys that marked the shadier part of the city. Most people would have been uncomfortable with all the shadows, but she was right at home. She was a hunter at heart and shadows were just the thing to put her at ease. A couple of folks looked at her, sizing her up, most likely, but it only took a quick look at the steel in her gaze and the easy way she let her hand drop to the pistol at her waist to scare them off.

Eventually the cat stopped in front of the entrance to a small, dirty looking sort of saloon. It was pretty dimly lit inside and she took a quick look around to make sure that no one was thinking of following her before she stepped inside. There were a couple of people there, most of them drunks, and all of them pretty subdued. No one bothered to look up at her and she nodded once to the bartender before she swept past and followed the cat down to a table right near the back corner of the saloon.

A grin crossed her face as she took in the man sitting there. As always, he was dressed in a suit, and she couldn't help but wonder if he ever wore anything else. The cat hopped onto the table and the man was quick to scoop the animal up, stroking its back as he glanced up at Fang.

"It's been a while, Fang."

She nodded and took the seat opposite him. There was a plate of sandwiches set out on the table and she helped herself to one. "It sure has, Reeve."

Reeve Tuesti grinned and broke off a little bit of his sandwich, offering it to the cat in his arms. "I must say blonde doesn't really suit you."

Fang tugged at the wig on her head and chuckled. "Maybe, but brown is just a little too close for comfort and can you imagine me with red hair?" She grimaced. "That's definitely more Vanille's thing." She glanced at the cat. "Honestly, couldn't you have come up with a better way to reach me than your cat?"

"I'll have you know, Cait Sith is really quite intelligent for a cat," Reeve replied. In his arms, the cat nodded and batted one paw at Fang. "In any case, you're here aren't you?" The teasing glint in his dark eyes faded for a moment. "It's safer too. There's a good chance that I'm being watched and while I'm pretty sure I lost anyone who might be following me before I got here, sending a messenger or someone else to get you would have been a little too suspicious."

"I suppose that's true." Fang's eyes narrowed. "But still, how'd you even know I was in town?"

"Well…" Reeve tugged at his moustache. "I did get your letter and I figured that you'd be here sooner rather than later. It was just a matter of looking out from that mentor of yours. You and Vanille might be good at hiding yourselves, but Katzroy is pretty noticeable."

That was a good point, Fang realised. But if Reeve had thought of that, there was no guarantee that someone else hadn't and the last thing she wanted was to get Sazh into too much trouble. "That's some pretty good thinking, Reeve."

He chuckled. "Don't worry, there's not too many people who know about you and Katzroy being old friends and I haven't exactly been spreading it around." He smiled. "In my line of work, keeping secrets is pretty much habit. Besides, if I did go spreading it around, I'm pretty sure you'd come after me, guns blazing and everything."

Fang smirked. "Damn straight." She took another sandwich and winced. She was feeling pretty hungry, but the last one hadn't exactly been great. "What did you think of that stuff I put in my letter?"

Reeve bit his lip and rubbed under Cait Sith's chin. The cat seemed to sense some of his worry, because it nuzzled back. "You said some mighty interesting things, Fang, the kind of things that Cocoon would probably kill over." He sighed. "You know I've been working in Cocoon's office here for a couple of years now, trying to puzzle things out, and while I haven't come across anything quite so dangerous, I've come across some things that are pretty similar."

Fang nodded. "And?"

"Well, Cocoon's been hiding money all over the place, even though I still can't tell why. I can tell you, it's got Shinra mighty nervous. The folks above me have been pushing me for a while now, asking me to get something concrete, but you know how it is. I can't just waltz in there and grab anything I please, not if I want to get out of this alive." Reeve shook his head. "Money is all well and good, but a dead man can't spend a dime."

A grimace crossed Fang's face. She'd almost forgotten how tough Reeve had it. He had to tread a fine line, spying on Cocoon for Shinra, but at the same time keeping just enough back from Shinra to keep himself useful. Fellows like Rufus Shinra didn't bother keeping people around unless they were useful and people like Reeve knew just a little too much to just be sent on their way in anything but a coffin.

"So, what do you think, Reeve? Can I expect to get any help from Shinra on this?" Fang asked. She might not like Shinra, but they were just about the only company big enough to stand up to Cocoon and she was smart enough to know she'd need every bit of help she could get.

The black haired man took a moment to reply. "Look, I'll lay it out straight for you. Shinra would be pretty interested in those documents you've got. They'd be solid enough for us to go to court with, maybe try and tie up Cocoon for a spell, but you've got to be careful. Shinra's a dangerous company to be dealing with Fang."

"Funny you should say that, Reeve, since you work for them and all." Fang paused. "Are you threatening me?"

Reeve made a face. "No, just warning you." He leaned back and Cait Sith followed, curling up in his lap. "Fact is, Fang, I like you. You've done right be me, what with the information you've passed to me about Cocoon and all that." He sighed. "But Shinra means business Fang. They might help you if they think it'll help them, but you've got to be careful. When you get right down to it, they're probably just as bad as Cocoon, and if you get in their way, they'll take you right out of the picture."

"I'd like to see them try." Fang smirked. "It's not like Cocoon has had much luck."

"Maybe not yet," Reeve shot back. "But that's because they still don't think that much of you. Sure, you've been a thorn in their side, and they've got that reward on you, but you're forgetting that they've got money to burn. The fact is, once they cotton on to how dangerous you are, they'll come after you and it won't be head on in a straight up fight. They'll come at you sideways, gunning not just for you but the people you care about, as well, like that red head friend of yours and Katzroy. And it won't be cowboys they send after you, the kind who shoot wild and think poorly, it'll be killers, the quiet kind, the kind you don't even see coming until it's too late. If you bring what you've got to Shinra, there's a good chance Cocoon will find out where it's come from and then they'll come after you." He took a steadying drink of whiskey from the bottle on the table. "And Shinra is the same. You might be useful to them for a spell, but once you aren't they'll look to tie up loose ends and by that I mean you."

Fang reached for the whiskey. After a talk like that, she could use a sip or two. "I guess I should thank you for the warning, but you know what I want. I can't take Cocoon down on my own, and if Shinara's willing to help, I'll take what I can get." She closed her eyes. "Why do you think I didn't bring Vanille here? I want her kept out of this and if you know what's good for you Reeve, you'll make sure Shinra knows that it was me who found those things, and me who brought it to you."

Reeve nodded and reached down to pet Cait Sith. "Sure, sure, if that's how you want it. Just make sure you think things through, okay?" His expression softened. "Look, if things do go bad, I'll try to let you know, see if I can't maybe get you a few day's warning in advance, you know, for everything."

"You're a pretty decent man when you put your mind to it, Reeve," Fang said with a small smile as Reeve made a show of looking grateful. "Now about the other thing I wanted you to look into…"

"I'll get to that in a second, but I thought I might tell you something interesting I happened across the other day." Reeve leaned forward. "I heard that someone else stumbled onto the same thing you did, so it looks like there could be some other people out there gunning for Cocoon."

"Oh?" Fang raised one eyebrow.

"Even better, I've got some information saying they might be dropping into Eden City in a few days. If you want I can get in touch with them, maybe see if they're interested with working with you," Reeve said.

Fang pursed her lips and then nodded. "Seems like a plan. Do it." She folded her hands together on the table. "Now about that thing I wanted you to look at, did you find anything?"

Reeve grimaced. "You know I haven't got access to everything in Cocoon, even though I'm working there. However, I can say with a fair bit of confidence that just about everything related to what happened in Oerba was either destroyed or is being kept someplace that even someone like me can't find. I'd bet that only Barthandelus knows where those records are."

Fang cursed and reached for the whiskey. "Damn. Is that all?"

Reeve shook his head. "Not quite. I couldn't find any of the records, but I did a lot of asking around." He scowled. "It cost me a lot, and not just money either, but I was able to get a name. It seems that Barthandelus wasn't the one who came up with the plan, someone else did."

Fang's grip on the bottle of whiskey tightened though her voice remained deceptively calm. "That sounds interesting."

"How about you give me that before you break it," Reeve said as he pried the bottle of whiskey out of Fang's grip. "Now, I can give you that name Fang, but you've got to promise me you won't do anything stupid. He's rich, Fang, and well connected, and it'll be a few days before he's back in town."

Fang swallowed thickly. "Give me the name, Reeve."

"Fang, you have to promise me you won't just rush out there guns blazing," Reeve said. There was a gleam in Fang's eyes that had him thinking that maybe he should have kept his mouth shut.

Even though she knew that he was only speaking reason, Fang wanted nothing more than to grab Reeve and haul him over the table for the name. He hadn't been there when Oerba burned. He hadn't seen all the bodies piled up and heard all the screaming and crying. "The name, Reeve." Her voice came out hoarse. "Tell me that name right now or so help me I'll make you."

"You've got to promise me first, Fang," Reeve insisted, not quite sure where he got the courage from.

"Fine." Fang forced the word out. "I won't do anything stupid. Now tell me the name."

Reeve sighed. "According to what I heard it was a guy named Hojo who planned the whole thing out. He works for Shinra now, but back then, he used to work for Cocoon."

"Hojo?" The name was acid in Fang's mouth. "Where does he live?"

"There's a big mansion over by the Eden City Gardens, right near the south bridge over the river." Reeve pushed a piece of paper across the table. "That there is the address. Hojo isn't in town now, but he should be back before the end of the week."

Fang took the piece of paper and tucked it into her coat. "Thanks for this, Reeve. I mean it." If this Hojo bastard really was the one who'd come up with the plan that had left her and Vanille on their own and the only place they'd ever called home in ashes, then she'd be paying him a visit. It would be a long, painful, visit.

"Be careful, Fang," Reeve warned. "Everyone I asked about Hojo said he isn't the kind of man you mess with. There's something wrong with him, something rotten inside him." He ran one hand through his hair. "If you do see him, make sure not to take Vanille with you. He's a real piece of work and I have a feeling that what you've got planned for him isn't something you want Vanille to see."

"I know." Fang pushed away from the table and stood. "Look, Reeve, talk to your people at Shinra. Let me know what they can offer me for the information that I've got and the originals of the documents I picked up about Cocoon." She turned and took a few steps, but then stopped and looked back at him. "And by the way, Reeve, make sure you keep and eye out for trouble, I'd hate for you to end up dead in a ditch somewhere."

Reeve chuckled mirthlessly. "That's funny, Fang, because I'd hate to be dead in a ditch somewhere." He lifted Cait Sith back onto the table and the cat ambled over to take a bite out of one of the sandwiches. "Can you find your way back, or should I send Cait Sith to guide you?"

Fang laughed. "Don't worry, I can find my way back." She glanced down at the cat. "Am I right in thinking you'll be sending Cait Sith next time you want to meet?"

"Of course." Reeve looked serious for a second. "But just in case anything does happen to me, you'll take Cait Sith in, won't you?"

"I suppose I could." Fang smirked. "But I'd rather you didn't go off and do anything silly. Vanille might like pets, but I think she'd spoil Cait Sith rotten."

Reeve smiled. "Well, I can't have that now can I, so I suppose I better stay alive a while longer."

X X X

**Author's Notes**

First of all, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off this.

I've been hinting for a while now that Fang knows somebody on the inside at Cocoon and who better for that than Reeve? He played both sides in FF VII and I think it's only fair that he goes one better and plays three sides here (Cocoon, Shinra, and team Fang). Once I had Reeve in the chapter, I just had to have Cait Sith, as well, and since this is a Western, I couldn't exactly have Cait Sith as a robotic cat riding on top of a moogle. Having Hojo as a bad guy of sorts was just icing on the cake (because Hojo really is that evil).

As for what happened to Oerba, I'll be revealing more about that in the coming chapters, although it should be clear from what I've mentioned in this chapter that it was not the least bit pleasant and that Cocoon was somehow involved. For those of you wondering where Lightning has gone, don't worry, you'll be seeing more of her, especially since she and her own group are headed toward Eden City, as well.

Interestingly, this is one of the few chapters in which no one is shot, punched in the face, or otherwise injured or killed. I'm not sure what that says about me…

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	21. Chapter 21

**Here We Go Again**

Lightning let her gaze wander up and down the poorly lit street. It was strange, but it was only out here, on the shady side of Eden City where the shadows seemed just a touch too long and the silence just a tad too deep, that she felt most at home. The good parts of the city were well enough, and she could appreciate the well-kept streets and tree-lined avenues just as much as anyone else, but it had all seemed somehow unreal. Maybe she'd spent too many days and nights dealing with the worst the West had to offer, but there was something about Eden City that rubbed her the wrong way. There was too much money here, and maybe not enough morals.

Shifting her eyes from the street to the shadow-lined rooftops of the factories on either side of her, she felt a frown form on her face. It was quiet, too quiet, and she didn't like the set up one bit. She and Quistis were out in the open here and there were an awful lot of places where a gunman could get set up and pick them off. Problem was, they didn't really have much choice. The people they were meeting had picked this place exactly because it was one of the few places in the city that people tended to avoid, the kind of place where a shady deal or two could get done without anyone being the wiser.

"Are you sure about this, Quistis?" Lightning asked softly. Her hands strayed down to the gun at her side, finger itching for the trigger. "If that contact of yours decides to double cross us, we're going to have a hard time getting out of a place like this in one piece."

Quistis lifted one hand to adjust her glasses and smiled thinly. "This contact of mine might deal in secrets, Lightning, but trust me, he's an honest man, or at least, as honest as a man of his profession can be." She glanced quickly up and down the street. There was no one else there at all. "I've dealt with him before on some mighty touchy things and he's always come through for me. The fact is, I've got no reason not to trust him, especially if my hunch about his real employer turns out to be spot on."

"His real employer?" Lightning's lips pulled back in distaste. She hated all these shady dealings. It was better when her enemy was right in front of her and gunning for her. That way all she had to do was decide whether to shoot them or not and if so, where and how many times. "What do you mean by that?"

Quistis glanced sideways at Lightning. "He works for Cocoon."

"You don't say?" Lightning said softly, too softly.

Quistis didn't have to turn to know that Lightning's lithe frame had gone all tense. "Easy there, Lightning, you didn't let me finish." The marshal waited a few seconds for most of the tension to drain from Lightning before she continued. "That's just his day job, so to speak. He's been passing information about to Cocoon to other people for a while now, and I figure he probably works for Shinra." Not sure how much Lightning knew about things between Shinra and Cocoon, she added, "Shinra is the only company big enough and nasty enough to stand toe to toe with Cocoon and it wouldn't surprise me one bit if it turned out that the two of them were trying to smuggle information out of each other."

"So he's playing both sides?" Lightning shook her head slowly. "Seems like a mighty tricky spot to be in."

"Yes, I reckon it would be." Quistis smiled faintly. "Still, he's a smart fellow, and if he says he might be able to get us help, I don't think we're in much of a position to say no." Her gaze dropped to the gun at Lightning's side and she tapped her own weapon. "Besides, I happen to know where he lives so if he tries to sell us out, we can always find him and teach him a thing or two about messing with the wrong people."

Lightning smirked just a little at that. Quistis had always been the more level-headed out of the two of them, but the blonde could play dirty if she needed to. Matter of fact, most marshals could. See, the law was all well and good, but criminals didn't play by the rules and any good lawman knew when to bend the rules a little to even the playing field. "Well, let's hope it doesn't come to that." She looked up at the moon, pale and big and low in the sky. "How much longer do you think he'll keep us waiting?"

"Don't worry," Quistis replied. "He's always on time." She nodded. "Just look over there."

Lightning peered into the darkness where Quistis was looking and frowned. There was something moving there and for a moment, she almost went for her gun. But then she saw what was doing the moving and her hand moved clear of her holster. There was a little black cat out there and a few steps behind it there was a man in a suit.

"It's been a while, marshal," Reeve said.

Quistis inclined her head. "It's good to see you too, Reeve. I hope you've been keeping out of trouble. It'd be a shame if I had to arrest you."

"Arrest me? Well, if that's what's got you worried, then there's no need to worry. Everything I do is above board, or at least everything that somebody could pin on me. Still, if what I've heard is true, it might be you that's in trouble this time." His dark eyes shifted over to Lightning and the sheriff saw at just a glance that for all his easy going manner, Reeve was plenty smart. He took a moment to take her measure and Lightning held his gaze evenly, at least until the cat ambled over to her and rubbed itself against her leg. "Well, look at that," Reeve said. "I figured you for a decent woman, sheriff, just based on what I'd heard about you, but if Cait Sith there likes you, then you've got to be pretty good inside."

The cat meowed softly and Lighting was struck by the sudden urge to bend down and run her hand through its soft looking fur. It was, she thought, an awfully adorable looking little thing, and maybe if she'd been alone, she'd have indulged a little. As it was though, she wasn't alone and she had a reputation to maintain, even if she could tell by the hint of humour in Quistis' eyes that the other woman had seen right through her.

"So, you're Reeve?" Lightning said as she extended one hand. "The name's Lightning."

Reeve took her hand and Lightning made sure to squeeze hard enough for him to know that she meant business. A few seconds later, he pulled his hand away with a wince, but he nodded to let her know that he'd gotten the message.

"That's a fine handshake you got there, sheriff," Reeve said, rubbing his sore hand.

Quistis glanced past Reeve. "You said we'd be meeting some other people who've got business with Cocoon, where are they?"

Reeve shrugged. "They should be here any minute now." Beside Lightning, Cait Sith perked up and Reeve glanced back and smiled. "Well, look at that. There they are right now."

Lightning moved to the side and looked past Reeve to where she could just make out two figures coming up the street. She could tell straight away that both of them were women, even if neither of them walked particularly daintily. One of them was actually a mite taller than her while the other was closer to Serah's height. Narrowing her eyes a little, she couldn't shake the impression that there was something familiar about the taller one, almost like she'd met her before or something.

A few moments later, the pair was close enough to see clearly and she realised exactly why the taller one seemed so familiar. In the next second, she had her gun out of the holster and level with the other woman's head.

"You!" Lightning snarled, finger twitching at the trigger. She probably would have fired too if the little red head hadn't just pulled a shotgun from who knew where and pointed it at her chest. "What are you doing here?" Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw that Quistis had her pistol out too, and had it trained on the red head.

Fang took one look at the rage on Lightning's face and realised that joking around probably wouldn't be the smartest idea. Still, she never had always gone for the smartest option, and it was very, very tempting, especially when the pink haired woman looked so beautiful all riled up like she was. Besides, Lightning was a sheriff wasn't she? There was no way she'd just shoot her in cold blood, or at least, she hoped there wasn't.

"Well, what do you know?" Fang said. "Fancy meeting you here, sunshine."

"Sunshine?" Vanille giggled, though her aim with her shotgun remained steady. "What are you calling her sunshine for?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Fang said, emerald eyes alight with mirth as her lips curled into smirk that she just knew would make things worse. "It's because of her downright sunny disposition."

Lightning growled and eased the hammer of her pistol back. "Shut your mouth, you criminal."

Fang feigned a hurt expression. "Criminal? Why, I thought we knew each other better than that, sunshine. Why don't you call me Fang? All my friends do." Her eyes caught and held Lightning's. "After all, we'll be working together, now won't we?"

"Working with you?" Lightning's grip on her pistol tightened. "I am not working with a wanted criminal especially not one who… who…" she trailed off, realising that saying exactly why she was so mad probably wasn't the best idea, not when Quistis and the red head seemed to be taking such an interest in things. Even so, the memory of things brought a flush to her cheeks.

"Who what?" Fang's grin widened as she took in the flush on Lightning's cheeks. It seemed she'd made quite the impression the last time. Not quite able to stop herself, she stared at those same lips and the blush on Lightning's cheeks only grew as the sheriff realised where she was looking. "Why, sunshine, what exactly did I do to get you so mad?"

"You know perfectly well what you did?" Lightning barked. "Don't act stupid or so help me, I'll put a hole in you the size of Eden City."

Reeve looked from the enraged sheriff to the grinning bandit and wondered if maybe he hadn't made a mistake. Even though he hadn't thought they'd get along perfectly, he hadn't expected this much trouble. A quick look at Quistis and Vanille showed that the two other women were also a little puzzled, although Vanille had a look of almost maniacal glee on her face, whereas Quistis looked like she was doing her best to figure out a way to stop everyone from killing each other.

"Look," Reeve began, "Why don't you all put your guns down? You've all got your problems with Cocoon and filling each other full of lead isn't going to do a thing to fix them."

Vanille grinned. "I'll put mine down when they do."

Lightning grit her teeth. "Fine." Slowly, like it was actually paining her to do so, she holstered her gun. However, that didn't stop her from shooting Fang a ferocious glare that would have had anyone else quaking in their boots. Fang, though, only grinned wider. "But if that criminal so much as twitches funny, I'm shooting her."

Fang's eyes twinkled. "I thought I told you, sunshine, call me Fang."

Before Lightning could get her gun back out, Reeve stepped in between the two women. "Look, maybe it'd be good if we just got down to business." Seeing everyone nod and with the danger of a shoot out averted, at least for the time being, Reeve decided to ride his luck a little. "Like I said, you've all got your problems with Cocoon. Now, I've been talking to Fang here and Quistis and about what you lot have all uncovered, and it seems to me what you've found all meshes together pretty well." He glanced carefully at Fang. "I've also spoken to Shinra and they're willing to lend a hand, but only if you can get them more first, enough that they can be sure that Cocoon won't be able to pull some legal trick and squirm their way out of trouble."

"So you want us to do a little digging?" Quistis asked. "That's about what I was expecting."

Reeve smiled craftily. "Well, Cocoon does have its main officers around here and you do all look like you could do a pretty fine job sneaking around." He slanted a look at Lightning. "That's not going to be a problem, is it, sheriff?"

Lightning shook her head. "It won't be a problem." If it meant keeping Serah safe, then a little breaking and entering wouldn't be too bad. Besides, Cocoon had started the whole thing, what with its breaking of the law and then sending hired guns to try and wipe them out. "What exactly have you got planned?"

Fang leaned forward. "That's where I come in." Her voice took on a teasing tone as Cait Sith hopped over from Reeve to settle at her feet. "You see, I met an interesting fellow on the train over here who's thinking of doing some business with Cocoon. He's going to be meeting up with some of their people at that office of theirs and I asked if I could tag along. Considering me and Vanille here helped him out, he was pretty happy to have me come along." Her grin was downright dangerous. "I figured I could take a look around, get a feel for the place, and then we could bust in at night, you know, take whatever needs taking." She tipped her hat a little at Vanille. "Maybe blow the place up too, if nobody objects."

Quistis pursed her lips. "It seems decent enough for a plan – at least if you scrap the bit where we blow the whole place up." Vanille sagged visibly. "That'd be all kinds of messy, not to mention that would leave Reeve here out on the street." Reeve sketched a bow.

"That aside, how can we be sure that you can be trusted?" Lightning asked. "How do we know you're not working for Cocoon?"

A growl rose from deep in Fang's throat and Reeve saw the flash of real anger in her eyes. Deciding that another stare-down was not in anyone's best interest, he put one hand on her shoulder and then turned to Lightning. "Trust me, sheriff, these two have got more reason that anyone on this earth to hate Cocoon. They'll be dead and buried before they help those vipers, you have my word on that."

Lightning nodded, but her eyes weren't on Reeve, they were on Fang. This was the first time since the meeting had started that she'd gotten a rise out of the other woman, but somehow, she didn't feel too happy about it. There was real hurt in the taller woman's emerald eyes and a sort of furious anger that Lightning knew all too well. It was the kind that came from long suffering and dreams trodden down. "My mistake then," she said softly, looking away at last. "Can't blame me for asking though, can you?"

Fang's eyes widened. It wasn't an apology, but it was close. She figured that she could read the sheriff pretty well, so she supposed it cut both ways. Strangely though, she found the thought that Lightning could see what she was thinking to be a little thrilling.

"Don't get too comfortable though," Lightning added, pinning Fang with her gaze. "I'll be watching you."

The serious expression melted off Fang's face. Lightning was just too much fun to bait, especially with an opening like that. With a flirtatious wink, Fang let her eyes rove over Lightning's form. Just like before, the sheriff was wearing pants that hugged her long, slim legs just right and though the poor lighting made it hard to see under the other woman's coat, there was no mistaking the trim, toned nature of Lighting's body. "Really? Well, don't worry, sheriff. I'll be watching you too."

Lightning's eyes widened as the meaning of the words sunk in and she all but shoved Reeve out of the way, one hand already flashing up to strike at Fang's jaw but the taller woman was ready this time and though it was a near run thing, she managed to get one hand up in time and actually caught Lightning's hand in her own. "Let me go, damn it!"

"I don't think so," Fang said. "I happen to quite like my jaw the colour it is, thank you, even if you seem to like colouring it purple. Anyway, have you forgotten? I'll be doing some snooping around tomorrow and I can't exactly do that with a big bruise on my jaw."

Quistis ignored the laughter coming from Vanille and put one hand on Lightning's shoulder. "I don't know what she's done to get you all riled up, but she does have a point."

Lightning pulled her fist out of Fang's hand and sneered. "You keep your eyes to yourself, criminal."

Fang shrugged. "I don't remember it being a crime to look." She smirked and again let her eyes rove very deliberately over Lightning. "Hell, it'd be a crime not to." Vanille giggled again and Fang knew that the red head would be absolutely attacking her with questions later, but right now she was having far too much fun to care. "Besides, if you wanted, you could look back." She reached for the buttons of her shirt. "If you want I could show you…"

"Damn it," Lightning spat, grabbing at Fang's hands as another blush coloured her cheeks. "I don't want to look at you." She looked away. "So just… just stop."

Fang reached forward and tapped Lightning's hands. "You know, despite everything you've said, you are pretty forward."

Lightning looked back to where her hands were and paled. She was holding Fang's chest. Jerking back so fast that she nearly fell over, she let loose a curse. "That was an accident and you know it."

Fang grinned. "No harm done, sunshine. In fact, I'd say that makes us even now." She put one finger up to her lips. "Although if we wanted to really square things up, I'd have to shoot you, but I don't much care for that." Her emerald eyes sparkled. "It'd be a damn shame to shoot someone as pretty as you."

"Wait," Reeve said as he looked from Fang to Lightning. Setting aside the strangeness of their behaviour, there was one important detail in all that. "She shot you, Fang?" This meeting was looking like a worse and worse idea by the moment.

"Not that long ago," Lightning growled. "Pity I couldn't get her straight with just that shot though."

As Fang shot off another oddly suggestive comment, Quistis looked Lightning over carefully. There was more here than she'd thought at first. Lightning had a temper, even though she hid it pretty well most of the time behind that coldness of hers. Still, Lightning was fiery through and through, but it had been a long, long time since she'd seen the pink haired woman so angry, especially over something that didn't involve Serah. She had a feeling that it wasn't just about Fang maybe getting away from Lightning one time either. After all, while Lightning was good, she wasn't perfect and the odd criminal had managed to get away now and then. And then there was the content of Fang's remarks. Sure, the bandit was teasing Lightning something awful, and sure she seemed to love getting a rise out of the sheriff, but Fang wasn't lying about looking, because even now with Lightning shooting death at her with her eyes, Fang was definitely looking at Lightning and appreciating what she saw. How interesting.

"Wait a second here, just what happened between you two?" Quistis asked.

Lightning looked at her supposed friend in utter disbelief and opened her mouth to reply, only to snap it shut an instant later. Silence reigned and Fang's smirk only grew. Glancing over at Vanille, Quistis could see that the younger woman was also watching everything with razor keen interest.

"What's the matter, sunshine?" Fang taunted as Cait Sith slunk away from her and over to Reeve – most likely able to sense the impending disaster. "Cat got your tongue?" Lightning trembled with fury and Fang decided that she might as well go in for the kill. Hell, if the sheriff shot her now, it would be worth it. "Or maybe you're thinking about the time I got your tongue."

Quistis' eyes widened and Vanille's jaw dropped. As for Reeve, the suit wearing man was smart enough to take several big steps back. Experience had taught him that getting in the way of a woman like Lightning when she was angry was a mighty quick way to end up dead or worse.

"What did you say?" Lightning ground out as she rounded on Fang. As much as she wanted to shoot the other woman, she couldn't. Still, she thought as she cracked her knuckles, a good beating might be okay, so long as she didn't go for the face.

Fang grinned. "You heard me, sunshine." She shifted into a loose fighting stance. "I'm thinking about that kiss of ours."

With the words out in the open, there was only a tense, violence-soaked silence. It was finally broken by the low growl that burst from Lightning as she launched herself at Fang. She led with a simple punch at the taller woman's stomach that Fang managed to slap away, before she grabbed Fang by the collar of her shirt and drove one knee into her gut. Fang doubled over, still grinning, and Lightning managed to land another knee before Fang reached out and tugged Lightning's feet out from under her.

Lightning landed on her back and immediately rolled away as Fang found her feet again and advanced, a big smile on her face.

"What's the matter, sunshine, can't get it out of your head?" Fang taunted. "I know I'm pretty good, but really…"

Lightning's eyes flashed blue fire. "You forced yourself on me!"

"Forced myself on you?" Fang blocked a vicious kick aimed at her ribs and shoved Lightning back. "I don't recall you fighting too hard. In fact, I'd say you were actually pretty enthusiastic about things for most of it."

"Shut your mouth!" Lightning spat. "I did no such thing!"

Fang backed away as Lightning darted forward again, fists flying. "Then you just kind of sat there staring for a while. Was I so good you couldn't think straight afterwards?" She dodged another kick. "Although I can't say it's the first time I've kissed someone silly, none of them have been as pretty as you, or anywhere near as good with a gun."

That did it. Lightning abandoned any attempt at decent fighting and simply threw herself at Fang. The two of them went down in a tangle of limbs and Lightning drew one fist back, determined to leave at least one good bruise only to be stopped as Quistis grabbed her under her arms and dragged her off Fang.

"That's about enough, Lightning," Quistis said.

Lightning tried to pull free, but couldn't. Still, she did manage to get one last kick off, hitting Fang in the shin.

"Ouch. Damn it, that hurt," Fang said as she got to her feet. Seeing Vanille laughing at her, she scowled. "You know, you could have helped a bit there."

Vanille smiled sunnily. "Yes, I could have, but you were teasing her something awful. Anyway, if you really did kiss her then you deserved it." She tilted her head to one side. "A lady shouldn't kiss and tell."

Advancing on Vanille, Fang scowled. "Well, I'm not a lady."

"Isn't that the truth," Lightning muttered as she shoved out Quistis' grasp.

"You know, you're really quite violent," Fang said. "Maybe you should think about changing your line of work. You get to shoot more people as a bandit."

Quistis grabbed Lightning again before she could do anything else. "That's enough, both of you!"

With the situation again calmed down for the time being, and not sure he'd get another chance, Reeve stepped back into the middle of the group. "Now that we've got things settled, why don't we work out where to meet next?"

Fang rubbed her shin. It was just her luck that Lightning had kicked the same shin that Vanille usually did. "I'll be having a look around Cocoon's offices at maybe noon tomorrow, so we should probably try to meet up some time in the afternoon and then head back at night."

Quistis nodded. "Sounds decent enough. Where were you thinking of meeting?"

"You know the Eden City Gardens? I was thinking we could meet over by the south entrance at, say, three o'clock in the afternoon."

Quistis glanced at Lightning out of the corner of her eyes. The other woman had calmed down, but she knew that it might only take another remark from Fang to set her off again. "We'll be there."

"Good." Fang winked at Lightning. "It's a date."

This time it took Quistis, Vanille, Reeve, _and_ Caith Sith to hold Lightning back as Fang laughed and made a mad dash down the street and into the shadows.

"Sorry about Fang," Vanille said with a grimace as she let go of the sheriff. Trust Fang to leave her to deal with the mess. "She sort of likes to tease people."

Lightning scowled. Fang was nowhere in sight. "She sure does and one day it's going to get her killed, preferably by me."

Vanille laughed nervously. "Well, you know, she wasn't trying to make you feel bad. I mean, not really." Lightning gave Vanille a sceptical look. "No, really, she was just playing around. Anyway, I hope you don't hold it against her. We all kind of have to get along if we want to take down Cocoon."

Lightning dragged in a deep breath. "I may have overreacted just a little bit." Reeve sniggered but quietened the instant Lightning looked his way. Cait Sith on the other hand gave Lightning a Cheshire grin. "But if she keeps on trying to mess with me…"

"I'll try to get her to ease up on that some," Vanille said. As funny as it was watching Lightning trying to bash Fang's head in, Vanille didn't actually want to see Fang get her head bashed in.

"If Fang is the Bahamut Bandit, that would make you Vanille the Kid, right?" Quistis asked.

Vanille grinned. "Yes, that's me."

"Oh." Quistis looked taken aback. "I kind of thought you'd be a little taller."

Vanille huffed. "What? I don't have to be tall to be scary. You shouldn't believe all that stuff you read in the papers, anyhow." She scowled. "And who are you anyway, I know the sheriff, but I don't think I've met you before."

Quistis inclined her head. "Marshal Quistis Trepe."

Vanille blanched. Fang had left her alone with a marshal? Well, at least Reeve was still around, although Cait Sith would probably be more useful if it came to a fight. "You're not going to turn us in or anything are you?"

"Not today," Quistis said with a shrug. "I figure if you help us out, I could say you slipped by me. Besides, it's Jihl that's gunning for you two, not me."

Vanille shuddered. "You know Nabaat?"

"Unfortunatenly, I can say that I do." Quistis made a face. "I'd keep on my toes around her. She's a crafty one, and she might not get things done the first time, but she's awfully hard to discourage."

"Don't worry, it'll take more than a viper like Nabaat to catch me and Fang." Vanille went over to pat Cait Sith on the head before she too headed off into the shadows in the same direction as Fang. But just before she was out of sight, she turned and shouted back at Lightning. "Don't worry, sheriff, I think Fang likes you too!"

Lightning's cheeks coloured again and Quistis couldn't help but add her own question as Lightning glared at the direction Fang and Vanille had gone off in. "You know that kiss, Lightning, was it really that good?"

As the sheriff turned to the marshal, Reeve quietly decided that now would be a good time for him to leave, as well. "You know, Cait Sith," he said. "Maybe it's about time I thought about changing jobs. It really is possible for things to get a little too interesting."

X X X

Serah smiled gratefully at Basch as he came back from the kitchen with a pot of coffee and several mugs. "Thank you, captain."

Basch shrugged and set the pot of coffee and mugs down on the table. "You don't have to call me that Serah, I haven't been a captain for a good while now."

"Even so, I think it suits you." Serah accepted a mug of coffee and took a moment to savour the bittersweet aroma. Basch might have spent a good portion of his life in the army, but he sure knew how to make a fine cup of coffee. "Thank you, by the way."

Basch took a sip of coffee and then set his mug back down. "It's no trouble. You looked like you could use a coffee."

Serah giggled softly. "I'm not talking about the coffee, captain, although I'm much obliged. I mean for letting us all stay here." Her eyes drifted over all the fine things in the sitting room and then through one of the open doors into the large kitchen. The place was big, much bigger, actually, than the home she and Lightning shared back in Bodhum. Although for Basch, or rather his employer, it wasn't anything special at all.

"You know it's no trouble," Basch replied. "Besides, Miss Ashelia insisted that you stay here. In fact, she wanted nothing more than for all of you to stay with her at the main house, but Lightning did say she wanted to keep things quiet."

Serah sighed. "We've got some trouble headed our way, captain, and we'd hate to drag you into things." She cast a look over at Fujin who was sitting silently in one of the chairs with a book and then at Snow who was snoring softly in another. It was, she thought with a soft smile, quite something to see such a big man sleeping in so little a chair, one that was sized more for people like her than for people like him.

Basch followed her gaze over to Snow. "You said he was a stockman, didn't you?" Serah nodded. "I've spent a few nights on the road myself and you learn pretty quickly to take sleep where you can." He frowned faintly. "Although I'm sure he'll be quite sore in the morning, and that's if the chair lasts through the night."

Fujin looked up from her book and glanced at Snow. "STUPID. OWN FAULT."

Basch lifted one eyebrow in question, but Serah just grinned. It had taken some getting used to and she still wasn't anywhere as fluent as Quistis was in translating what exactly Fujin said into complete sentences, but she had learned that Fujin wasn't usually trying to be mean. Fujin was just very, well, blunt and economical in her speech.

"So how are you and Ashe?" Serah asked. "Is everything going well?"

As Basch began to fill her in on things, Serah couldn't help but marvel at the way the world worked sometimes. Miss Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca, or Ashe to her friends, was one of the richest heiresses in the country and Basch was, well, it had never been easy to say just what Basch was to Ashe.

She and Lightning had met Ashe a few years back when some bandits had tried to kidnap her while she was going out West to inspect some of her holdings there. Things had gotten pretty complicated from there, since it turned out that the whole thing had been masterminded by a rival of Ashe's family and Basch's twin brother who had, it seemed, framed him for a number of crimes including the murder of Ashe's father. Somehow, Lightning had managed to clear Basch's name and together with Amodar, they'd managed to get things sorted, but not without a fair bit of shooting. Ashe had been pretty grateful, and since they'd gotten along so well, Serah and her had kept in touch. In fact, when Serah had come to study in Eden City, she'd stayed with Ashe.

"Ashe has been getting more suitors lately," Basch said. It is become very… vexing to deal with."

Serah smiled. "Why, captain, I do believe you just called her Ashe." Basch blushed and Serah grinned wider. "You should just tell her, you know."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Basch said stiffly. "She is my charge. It is my duty and honour to serve her as I served her father."

Serah took another sip of coffee to hide her smile. Basch was a traditional sort of man, and he seemed to think that his humble beginnings might count against him, but she'd seen the way Ashe looked at him sometimes. People did not look at their servants that way, especially people like Ashe who had long since mastered the haughty gaze that her wealth entitled her to.

"Anyway, it's getting late. Why don't you head back to the main house? I know how much you worry about Ashe," Serah said.

Basch shook his head. "Miss Ashelia," he stressed the title, "Ordered me to stay and watch over you. I need to ensure you safety should any trouble arise."

Serah glanced over at Snow and Fuijn. "If there is any trouble, I should be fine with those two."

Fujin looked up from her book again and shook her head. "I HANDLE TROUBLE. SNOW USELESS."

Serah chuckled. Despite Snow's imposing stature, he looked almost like a little boy with the way he was curled up on the chair. "My sister and Quistis should also be back soon."

Just then, there was a knock on the door and Fujin and Basch shared a glance. As Basch went to answer the door, Fujin dropped into position behind him, taking a spot that would give her a good long look at anyone coming through the door and ample time to shoot them if need be. There was no need though, as it was only Quistis and Lightning.

"Sheriff," Basch said.

"Captain," Lightning replied.

Serah rolled her eyes and smiled. Those two. However, her gaze sharpened when she noticed Quistis rubbing her shoulder. Had there been a fight? Quistis noticed her looking along with Fujin and grinned before glancing back at Lightning. Serah's eyes widened. Was Lightning blushing?

"What is he doing?" Lightning asked as she took in the sight of Snow asleep on one of the chairs. "Wasn't he supposed to be watching you, Serah?"

Serah smiled at Snow. "He was tired. It's been a long day, you know."

"It's been a long day for everyone, so why is he the only one asleep?" Lightning's expression darkened.

Serah saw the look on her sister's face and decided that it would be a good idea to change subjects. "So, how did the meeting go?"

Lightning's blush darkened. "Fine."

"Oh?" Serah's eyes twinkled. There had to be more to this. "Quistis?"

"Well… the people we'll be working with are mighty interesting." Quistis took a big step away from Lightning. "They're mighty interested in Lightning too, or at least one of them is."

"Interested in Lightning? Is there going to be trouble?" Serah asked seriously.

Quistis grinned. "When I say interested in Lightning, I don't mean interested the way you're thinking Serah." Quistis ignored the tremendous scowl on Lightning's face. "And as for trouble, there probably will be some, but not the kind you're thinking."

Huh? Oh… OH! Serah stared slack-jawed at her sister as a few things finally began to click. Lightning's blush now made all too much sense. "That so?"

Lightning made a disgusted sound. "Well be working with the Bahamut Bandit and Vanille the Kid."

"Yes, and it looks like Lightning and the Bandit have a little history," Quistis said. Rather than just step away, she stepped behind Basch, the former captain looking distinctly worried.

Serah grinned. This was just like one of those romance novels that Ashe had lent her once. Two enemies forced together by adversity and chance. How romantic. "Do tell."

It was only Serah's place as Lightning beloved younger sister that kept the older Farron from shooting her. As it was, Lightning had to content herself with making it very, very clear to Quistis that saying anything more would be awfully painful for her in the future. With one last glare, she stomped off to her room.

Letting out a breath he hadn't even realised he'd been holding, Basch sighed. "Lightning has become more… forceful."

Serah listened carefully. Unless her ears deceived her, Lightning was now up in her room, rummaging through her things. "So…" She looked at Quistis. "What happened?"

Quistis smirked and poured herself a mug of coffee. "If you really must know…"

X X X

**Author's Notes**

As always, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off this.

I won't lie to you. There may have been some cackling going on during the writing of this chapter. It felt nice to have the group together again (well, sort of together) and it was great fun to write the opening scenes with Reeve doing his best to host what has to be one of the most dysfunctional meetings ever. It was also nice to go back to a lighter sort of tone, not that there's anything wrong with being serious.

For those not aware of it, Reeve is from FF VII, Quistis and Fujin are from FF VIII, and Basch and Ashe (not technically in this chapter but mentioned) are from FF XII. Out of curiosity, which character from another FF game (i.e., not from FF XIII) do you guys like the most in this story? Me, I've kind of got a soft spot for Yuffie, even though it's been a while since she popped up.

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	22. Chapter 22

**My Fair Lady**

Fang took one look at the_ thing_ in Vanille's hands and went straight for her gun. "You drop that thing right this instant, Vanille," she growled. "Or by all that's good and decent, I swear I'll drop you instead."

To her credit though, Vanille just grinned and waved the thing she was holding about even more merrily. "Don't be like that, Fang." She thrust the thing at Fang. "Look how pretty it is. There's no two ways about it, you just have to wear it!"

Fang actually took a step or two back before she caught on to what she was doing and forced herself to square her shoulders and hold her ground. "It's a dress, Vanille." She jabbed at the dress with the barrel of her gun. "You know I don't care too much for dresses."

"Yes, yes, you've told me that plenty of times before," Vanille replied with a frown as she batted Fang's gun away. "You always say that pants are better because they're easier to move and fight in and all that sort of thing."

"Well, they are." Fang holstered her gun and smirked. "Besides, I look damn good in pants."

"Yeah, I guess you do," Vanille said. "But Fang, you do look… well… kind of a bit dangerous in pants." Fang's smirk became a scowl and Vanille held the dress up almost like a shield. "I don't mean dangerous in a bad way, Fang, but dangerous in a kind of 'I can handle myself and you'd be a damn fool to cross me' kind of way." She laughed nervously. "That's just fine out West, Fang, but I think it'd be better to look a little less scary when we drop by Cocoon today. A dress might help with that… maybe."

Fang turned Vanille's words over in her mind for a moment, trying to see a way to wriggle out of them, but she had to admit, the little red head had a point. "I guess you could be right, but you do realise that Estheim's already seen you and me kicking people around. Won't he be a little bit suspicious if we turn up looking all lady like?"

Vanille smiled. "Probably not. Everyone knows that out West a lady has to be able to look after herself." She struck a lady like pose. "Now that we're back in civilisation, it's only right that we handle ourselves all polite and proper." She stepped toward Fang. "And that means wearing a dress."

Fang took another step back, away from Vanille, and away from the dress. "Does it have to be that one? It's all… all… girly looking."

Vanille looked down at the dress in her hands and gave Fang a smirk of her own. "Girly, Fang? This dress isn't girly. It's all woman and I figure that should suit you just fine, seeing as how you're all woman and then some." She let her gaze wander keenly over first Fang and then the dress. "I'm telling you, Fang, it'll look just great on you. I got it done up so that it fits you just right and I know there's a lot of white, but that'll look so nice against the colour of your skin and there's a fair bit of green too that I just know will bring out the colour of your eyes." She giggled and it took every bit of Fang's courage not to bolt for the door. "You'll look so good in it that those jerks over at Cocoon won't know what to think. Why, you could probably start blowing things up and they'd hardly be able to take their eyes off you."

Fang looked over at the dress again and found her eyes lingering a little too long for her liking. It was very pretty, she realised, and she would look very good in it…. "Wait," she murmured, "How did you get it made up to fit me properly?" Fang growled. "I don't remember getting measured up or anything."

"Oh…" Vanille waved the dress about happily. "I just measured you up myself while you were sleeping."

"You what?" Fang wasn't sure whether to be damn impressed that Vanille had managed to do that without waking her, or downright terrified of what else her friend might have gotten up to without her knowing. "How'd you manage that?"

"Now that, Fang, is a secret." Vanille's smile was just about the evilest thing that Fang had ever seen. "So, are you going to wear it or not?"

Fang sighed. "I suppose there's no harm in wearing it… and it will help with the plan, so, yeah, I guess I could wear it."

Vanille gave a little cry of joy and lunged forward to hug Fang, the dress caught up between them. "Oh that's great Fang." Still smiling, she pulled back and called out toward the door. "Fang said she'd wear it, Lahna, bring in the rest."

"Huh?" Fang stuttered dumbly as the door burst open. Lahna strode in carrying a whole other bunch of… _things_. "What is all that?" Fang cried as she managed to pry Vanille off her and back away. That big grin on Lahna's face was definitely not a good thing. Unfortunately for Fang, she only managed to get a few steps away before her back met the wall. A quick, panicked glance around the room told her that she was boxed in good and proper. The window was on the wall opposite her, which meant that her chances of getting away were awfully close to nothing.

Vanille smiled like she'd suddenly gotten every wish she'd ever made granted all at once. "Well, Fang, you can't just wear a dress on its own, now can you?" She gestured at some of the _things_ that Lahna held. "Why, there's the chemise to worry about, not to mention the petticoats, the garniture, the corset and all those other things!" Vanille took a step forward, her eyes aglitter. "So before we can even get to the dress, we've got to fix you up with all of those first!"

Fang pressed herself flat against the wall and wondered if there was anyway she could bust through it. "Where did you get all of this?"

Vanille paused for a moment, a thoughtful look on her face. "You know all those times I had to sneak into towns to get us supplies and things? Well, I kind of picked them up along the way and I figured I might as well get some stuff for you." She grinned. "We never did get to play dress up much when we were little, so it's nice that I'm getting the chance to dress you up now instead."

"What if I've changed my mind?" Fang said, sticking her chin out boldly. Times like this, a woman had to stick to her guns, really lay down the law. "What if I don't want to wear a dress anymore."

Vanille's eyes widened and for just a moment, Fang thought she might've won, but she should've known better. A devious sort of look came onto Vanille's face and she turned to Lahna. "You know, Lahna, I always thought Fang was pretty brave. Seems to me she's a little scared to wear a dress. Maybe, you know, she doesn't think she can pull it off."

Lahna nodded. "You could be right there, Vanille. It takes a real classy woman to wear a dress like this, a real brave one too. But we both know that Fang isn't like that…"

Fang felt her eye twitch. She knew exactly what those two were up to and she wasn't about to fall for it. They could say what they wanted, but there was no way she'd cave. She wasn't a coward and she was just as much a lady as anyone else and wearing or not wearing a damn dress wasn't going to change that. "Heh. I'm wise to your tricks, Vanille. I'm not falling for it." Her eyes flash emerald fire. "So put a stop it right now, you hear."

Vanille sighed and looked at Lahna. "Well, I guess we've just to do this the hard way." Her eyes narrowed. "Get her!"

Outside the room, Sazh stopped for just a moment as the early morning calm was broken by a shrill, terrified scream.

"Daddy, was that Fang?"

Sazh looked down at Dajh and patted the boy on the shoulder. "I reckon so, son, but I figure it's none of our business what's going on in there. We'd be better off just grabbing some breakfast." Yes, if there was one thing that Sazh had learned over the years, it was that messing with Vanille was a bad idea, especially once she'd gotten her heart set on something. That was doubly true when Lahna was in on it with her. On the upside, he was pretty sure that Fang would come through things alive, although in what sort of condition, he couldn't be sure.

"Are you sure, daddy?" Dajh asked. "Fang sounds like she's in trouble."

Sazh glanced at the door as another scream rang out. "Trust me, son, you don't want to go into that room right now."

On Dajh's shoulder, Chirpy could only nod, the little chocobo wincing as Fang let out another panicked wail.

X X X

An hour later, Sazh and Dajh were downstairs. They'd eaten a pretty decent breakfast and Sazh was just fine with idling the time away over a newspaper or two. It didn't hurt either that the windows were open, warm streams of sunshine coming through them as Dajh poked at some chocolate thing with far too much sugar in it. A lazy smile crossed his lips. Lahna might chew him out for it later – some talk about it ruining Dajh's teeth – but a bit of chocolate every now and then was good for a boy, although he wasn't so sure that feeding some of it to Chirpy was a good idea. If something happened to the bird, then Lahna wouldn't just yell at him, she'd probably strangle him.

Just then there was a commotion near the stairs. Sazh looked up from his paper and then stared. And then stared some more. Vanille, Fang, and Lahna were there, all three of them dressed to the nines. Vanille was wearing one of those sundresses she seemed to like so much, a light blue one this time that brought out the green of her eyes and went well with the sort of pale blonde wig she'd chosen. Lahna too was looking mighty fine in something a little more formal, and when their eyes met, he grinned, slow, and lazy to show just how much he appreciated her taking the time to look so pretty, although really, he'd have thought her pretty if she was just wearing a burlap sack – not that he'd ever be fool enough to say that. But the real surprise was Fang. It was the first time he'd ever seen her in a dress and he had to admit that it suited her real well. A quick look around at some of the other men lounging about for breakfast told him that he wasn't looking, though he didn't care too much for those whose eyes were dropping a little lower than her face.

"Well, now, what's this here?" Sazh said as he stood and waved them over. "You're all looking right beautiful this morning."

Vanille and Lahna both smiled, but Fang sort of fidgeted and went to adjust the golden blonde wig she wore before Vanille stopped her with a look.

"You're not looking so bad yourself," Vanille said before she had to stifle a giggle. Lahna had finally noticed the chocolate in front of Dajh and she did not look all that happy.

Sazh grinned at Fang. "Seems like all that screaming was worth it. You should wear a dress more often."

To Sazh's amazement, Fang actually blushed. "Not a chance, old man."

Sazh smirked. Well, he'd finally found something that could make Fang blush. He reached over to pat Dajh on the shoulder. "Come on, Dajh, take a look at these fine ladies we've got here. What do you think?"

Dajh looked up from his chocolate and smiled broadly. "You look really pretty, mommy. You too, Vanille." And then he sort of looked a little puzzled and tilted his head to one side as he pointed at Fang. "Daddy, who's that?"

That did it. Vanille had to grab a chair to keep standing as she burst out laughing. The light blush on Fang's face darkened and Sazh was sure that if it weren't for Lahna being around, Fang would have done something violent, probably to both him and Vanille. As it was, Fang just turned away with her arms folded over her chest, a most unladylike pose, and scowled.

"Son, that's Fang." Sazh's eyes narrowed. "Although I suppose you'll be going by Fran today."

Fang finally managed to get her blush under control. "Yeah, that's right. Vanille and I will be meeting up with the Estheims today, so it'll be Fran and Penelo. What about you three, what are you up to today?"

Sazh shrugged. "I figured we might head down to the zoo. They're supposed to have a pretty good one here and Dajh has been taking a pretty keen interest in things with teeth and claws. I reckon it'll be better if he gets a look at them when they're behind bars first, instead of up close and personal." He grimaced. "You saw how friendly he was with Nanaki back there at Cosmo Canyon. Most critters won't be so friendly as that."

"The zoo, huh?" Fang murmured. "Seems like a decent way to spend the day." She took a seat at the table. "Might as well get something to eat now that we're here." She frowned and looked around. "I just wish people would stop staring."

Vanille giggled. "They're staring at a very beautiful young lady, Fang."

Fang muttered something that sounded an awful lot like swearing and Sazh sat back down with a big smile on his face. Now this was a fine way to spend a morning.

X X X

If Fang had thought that Vanille might let up a little now that they'd finally gotten her into a dress, she was in for a nasty surprise. Most times, she was happy enough with a good warm meal, but she was having a hard time enjoying this one as Vanille continued to nag at her about how to hold herself like a lady. First it was the way she was holding her spoon, then it was about the size of the bites she was taking of her food and then…

Where in the world had Vanille learned all of this? It definitely wasn't from Sazh. Sure, he could handle himself well enough in polite society, but he knew just about nothing about acting like a lady. Lahna had probably helped, but that couldn't be the whole story either. No, if Fang had to guess, she'd say that Vanille had learned it the same way she'd learned most things: by watching closely and practicing a whole lot. She scowled. It was all those trips into town. Vanille would have watched all the ladies really keenly and then, when she was going around all dressed up to get supplies and things, she would have put all she'd seen to use. A grim smile crossed Fang's face. Vanille really was all kinds of tricky when she wanted to be.

"Come on, Fang," Vanille chided. "If you're going to dress like a lady, you need to act like one and that means not using your fork like you're stabbing someone."

Fang shot Vanille a dirty look and brandished her fork at her. She'd had just about enough. "You just keep talking, Vanille. I'll stab you if you're not careful."

Vanille paled a little. Maybe she had been a little too hard on Fang. "No you won't, you like me too much." All the same though, she scooted her chair just a little closer to Lahna. It was better safe than sorry, after all.

Fang found herself smiling for the first time in what left like a while. She leaned forward, fork pointed right at Vanille. "You do realise, don't you, Vanille, that the three of them are going to the zoo while the two of us are going to be spending the whole day together." She jabbed the fork down into a flannel cake. "The whole day."

Vanille squeaked. "I'll be good."

Fang lifted the flannel cake to her mouth and chewed it extra slowly. It was good to know she could still put a scare or two on Vanille when she needed to. "You better be."

After breakfast, Fang and Vanille headed off toward the big Cocoon place right in the middle of the business district. Along the way, Fang couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief that Vanille hadn't had the time to set her up with a parasol. As it was, the red head had one of her own and while Fang thought Vanille cut a pretty cute picture with it, there was no way that she wanted one of her own. Heck, if there were so many rules for how to hold a fork, there had to be at least twice as many for how to hold a parasol. It didn't help either that the parasol in question was frilly, with a great deal of pink.

They got to the Cocoon place pretty quick and for a few minutes they just stood out in front of it as people bustled past them on the sidewalk. It didn't look like such a bad place, not really. Sure, it was big, and there was a tall iron fence out in front, but the buildings had a sort of reserved look to them and the fence was painted a cheerful shade of green. It almost looked harmless, but Fang knew that looks could be tricky, and more often than not it was the harmless looking things in life that turned out to be the most deadly.

"You think they're running late?" Vanille asked as she looked around. "I don't see them anywhere."

On the train over to Eden City from Cosmo Canyon, they'd set things up so that they could come have a look around while Bart Estheim got his business sorted with Cocoon.

"Easy there, they'll come." Fang smiled ruefully. "They're good, decent folk, after all."

True to form, it wasn't more than a few minutes more before the Estheims showed up and for just a second, Fang felt a stab of regret. They were dressed pretty formally and it was clear to anyone with eyes that they were good, decent people, the kind of people who'd probably never done a wrong thing in their lives. She didn't much care for dragging them into her and Vanille's business with Cocoon, but right now, she didn't have much choice. Besides, if things worked out right, they'd never suspect a thing.

"Good morning," Bart said with a smile. "You're both looking very well today."

Fang inclined her head. "Good morning, Bart." Her eyes flicked past Bart and she felt a grin slip onto her face as Hope stared at her and Vanille before he caught himself and looked away. Well, well, well, wasn't that interesting?

"How are you and the family?" Vanille asked. Smiling broadly, she leant her parasol over one shoulder and sighed. "I will say, it is good to be back in civilisation. That was some tricky business on the trip over."

Bart nodded. "Tricky it was, but you two sure handled yourselves well. Still, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. The West is a tricky place for people who can't deal with surprises. Why, Nora here is no slouch with a frying pan when the situation calls for it."

"Bart!" Nora scolded, although the laughter in her eyes gave her away. She glanced back at Fang and Vanille. "But really, you two do look so very nice. Where did you get that dress, Fran? It looks lovely on you."

Fang flushed. "Well… you'll have to ask Penelo about that. She was the one who found it. I'm not much into fashion myself."

Vanille giggled. "I picked it up from a little place in Midgar Town. They're not a big place, and it can take a while, but they do good work as you can see."

"You'll have to give me their address," Nora said. "I'll be sure to take a closer look." She glanced over at Hope and her lips curved into a small smile. "Well, Hope, you're not going to say anything?"

Fang smirked as the boy fumbled quickly for something to say.

"Um… uh… you both look real nice," Hope stuttered.

"Why thank you, Hope, you're very kind," Vanille said with a sunny smile on her face that had Hope turning a very, very bright shade of red.

"Not bad, kid," Fang said. There was just something about look on Hope's face – a mix of embarrassment, happiness, and mild aggravation – that just made her want to ruffle his hair. "And you even managed to keep your eyes on our faces the whole time too, not like some of the people around here." She punctuated the words with a glare at one particular passerby who had most certainly not been looking at her face.

"Ahem." Bart coughed. "Well, we did raise Hope to be a gentleman." He shifted his gaze over to the Cocoon place. "It's just about time for my appointment with the folks from Cocoon, so why don't we head over? Apparently there's some sort of tour or something that they give folks who are curious, so I guess they could take you all on that while I talk business."

"That so?" Fang grinned. "That doesn't sound half bad." Really, it was just like Cocoon to have something like a tour going. They'd show people around, get them to think that everything was above board when really they had all the interesting stuff hidden in plain sight. It was downright devious, and just the sort of thing she'd expect from them.

They made their over to the gate out front and Fang wasn't the least bit surprised to find that for all its friendly image, Cocoon had a fair number of guards patrolling behind the fence and quite a few at the gate, as well. The guard in charge at the gate was a dour looking sort of fellow, the kind who took his job just a little too seriously for Fang's liking. Still, when he caught sight of her, Vanille, and Nora, he brightened up some, even had the decency to smile as he called another guard over to escort them to where Bart had his meeting set up. Heh. Maybe Vanille's plan wasn't so crazy after all.

They were led over to a stately white stone building set in the middle of a pretty decent looking garden. Inside, it was all rich oak panelling on the walls and finely kept antique furniture. The whole place just screamed money and for a moment Fang let herself imagine setting the whole place on fire. Of course, she couldn't do that, at least not until she'd found what she was looking for. However, her little vision did keep her occupied until they reached a large sitting room that looked out onto the garden. There were two men waiting for them there, and for all that they were dressed like businessmen, she could tell that they were dangerous.

One of the men rose, a real tall fellow, and stepped forward to greet them. He had black hair that was combed neatly and his suit was a sombre thing, all black and grey. There was a certain calmness to him that Fang knew well, the kind of calmness that a man could only ever get by coming through the toughest of times okay. His eyes were a hard colour to place, though she'd probably put them somewhere near amber. He took a second to look at each of them, not in a challenging sort of way, but more to try and take their measure, to see what he was dealing with.

"Good morning, Mr Estheim," he said at last. "My name is Cid Raines, and I will be speaking on behalf of Cocoon."

Bart stepped forward and offered his hand. "Good morning to you too, Mr Raines." His eyes flicked past Cid to the other man who was sitting pretty casually on one of the chairs by the table with his hands folded behind his head and his legs extended out in front of him. "And who is your friend there?"

"My… friend there is Zack Fair," Cid said. "He will be giving your companions a tour while we talk business." His gaze sharpened. "Why don't you introduce yourself, Zack, and please, try to keep things polite."

Fang watched carefully as Zack stood up. At first glance, he looked like a pretty harmless fellow, if a little laid back, what with his hair spiking up at the front and his suit just a bit rumpled, yet somehow still managing to show off his good looks. But that would have been selling him short. For all his laid back look, he moved with the ease of someone in good shape, and the guns he wore on either side of his waist had the look of long use.

"Howdy there," Zack drawled and Fang lips curled as he ran his eyes over them. His eyes drifted over to Nora, took note of the blonde's good looks, but also the boy at her side and then moved on. They stopped on Fang and Vanille and Fang could almost hear the wheels turning in his head as he began to plan how to get into their good graces.

"Well, howdy to you too, Mr Fair," Vanille said.

Fang's eyes widened just a little at the cheerfulness behind the greeting and she glanced over at Vanille. Sure enough, the little minx had the most devious little twinkle in her eyes and for a moment, she almost pitied the poor fellow, because when it came to playing games, there wasn't anyone in the world better than Vanille.

"Zack," Cid said. "Why don't you take them on the tour now. Mr Estheim and I should have things sorted out by the time you're finished."

Zack gave them all a winning smile. "I'd be happy to take these fine young ladies on a tour of the place, Cid." He paused and grinned at Hope. "I'll take the kid along too, of course."

Hope scowled and Fang had to pity him. The kid had a few years yet before he could hold his own against someone like Zack.

"Well, let's get going then," Zack said. "We've got a big place here, and it'll take a while to show you all around. Besides, on a fine day like this, I think it's much better to be out and about, rather than talking business."

"So, Mr Fair," Nora asked as they followed Zack out of the building. "What is it that you do for Cocoon?"

Zack smiled. "I guess you could say I work on the public relations side of things. You know, give a friendly face to the company and all that." He glanced over at Vanille. "Any place you'd like to see first?"

Vanille nodded quickly. "I've heard you've got a printing press set up somewhere around here."

Zack tilted his head to one side. "A printing press? We certainly do, after all, the company owns and operates a newspaper, which we print right here in this compound. You want to take a look?"

"Sure, at least, that is if we're allowed," Vanille said as she clasped her hands out in front of her and her eyes got real big and watery.

Zack chuckled. "Don't worry, little lady, there isn't anywhere in this place that I can't bring you folks. Just say the word and we're there."

Fang almost laughed. Perfect.

The printing presses were kept in a large brick building not all that far from where they'd started. On the outside, things didn't seem all that bad, but on the inside, it was horribly noisy. The printing presses clanked and rumbled and groaned and the air was thick with the smell of oil and grease and ink. Frankly, Fang couldn't wait to get out of there and from the looks on Nora and Hope's faces she wasn't the only one. Vanille though, had a great big grin on her face as she practically danced around the place, poking at the printing presses and yelling questions at anybody she thought might be able to answer them.

"Your friend sure likes machinery," Zack said as they watched Vanille lean over the railing to look right into the guts of one of the printing presses.

"Yes, she does," Fang said before she darted forward to grab Vanille by the waist. She might not know too much about printing presses, but she was pretty sure that falling into one wouldn't end too well.

"This is just incredible, Mr Fair!" Vanille yelled. "How many papers can you print a day? How long does it take the ink to set? How long does –"

Fang chuckled as Zack actually took a step back under the barrage of questions. None of the people Vanille had asked had been able to answer all of her questions, so it wasn't too surprising that she'd turn to Zack for some answers. Of course, the poor fellow didn't know all that much, although he did manage to answer a couple of the questions and even slip in a compliment or two.

"He's taken quite a liking to Penelo hasn't he?" Nora asked with a gentle smile as they began to make their way out of the building and back outside to where it was a good deal quieter.

"Penelo tends to have that effect on people," Fang replied. "She kind of grows on you, whether you want her to or not."

Nora nodded. "I can see that." She paused and then gave Fang a shrewd look. "You know, Fran, you seem awfully curious about this place. You've been looking around like you're trying to memorise the place since we got here."

Fang's eyes widened. She'd underestimated Nora, all right. Sure, she'd had the others to worry about – Zack was a sharp fellow, for all that he seemed to be making the moves on Vanille – but a woman didn't last long out West without a good head on her shoulders. "I just like to keep a handle on things, you know, keep my bearings wherever I am."

"That so?" Nora looked a little sceptical but let the matter drop. "So… you're not the least bit worried about Penelo? That Zack fellows going after her pretty hard."

Fang laughed. "Trust me, Nora, if there's anyone who needs looking after, it's Zack. He even thinks of stepping over the line, Vanille will knock him back over it." And if she doesn't, Fang added mentally, I sure as hell will.

"I don't know – he seems pretty shifty to me," Hope said, cutting into the conversation. "Fact is, I don't trust him."

Fang glanced over at Hope and was again struck by the urge to ruffle his hair. He was like an angry little puppy. Of course, she'd seen the little looks that he'd sent Vanille the whole time, and she actually thought it was sort of cute. Problem was, Hope was all of fourteen or fifteen, so while he wasn't a boy anymore, he wasn't quite a man either. From what she could tell though, he had the makings of a good man, but that was a few years off yet, and she somehow doubted that telling him that would make him feel any less put out.

"Well, Hope," Nora said gently, "Mr Fair has been pretty decent to everyone so far."

"I still don't like him," Hope muttered.

"All right," Zack said. "Where would you all like to head to next? We've got a good place to eat if you're hungry, or we could keep going, maybe take a look at some of the factories we've got here, or if that doesn't suit you, maybe some of the offices, you know, give you a glimpse of what it's like to push paper around all day." He grinned. "We've even got a couple of projects on display if you're interested, the very latest in Cocoon machinery."

"How about we take a look at the offices first," Fang said with a smile that was completely genuine. "You know, get the boring stuff out of the way at the start."

Zack grinned. "Sure, why not."

About half an hour later, Fang was pretty sure they'd hit pay dirt. The office building wasn't much to look at, but as Zack had shown them around inside, it had become pretty clear that most of the paperwork was handled right there. Naturally, he couldn't show them around the whole place, but she'd already gotten a pretty good idea of where everything was by then. Still, it wouldn't hurt to be sure.

"What through there?" Fang asked, pointing to a locked door at the end of one corridor.

Zack looked at her for a moment and she wondered if he'd seen through her. "Don't worry about that. There's just more offices through there, nothing interesting really."

"I don't suppose we could take another look around?" Vanille asked, batting her eyelashes. "I think I saw one of those new type writer things around and I'd just love to take a look at one up close."

Zack never had a chance. "Sure thing. In fact, I'll see if I can't maybe get you a couple of minutes on one of those things."

Fang grinned. Leave it to Vanille to make sure they had the whole place scouted good proper. Another look would be all Fang needed to get the whole layout of the building memorised and that would definitely come in handy when they came back to snoop around.

After that, Zack took them all over to the restaurant right in the middle of the place. It was nice enough, with a wide selection of food, and it didn't hurt one bit that Zack had offered to pay for everything. Somehow, despite eating in a way that was entirely ladylike, Vanille still managed to get through quite a bit of food. In fact, the only one who ate more than her was Hope, who seemed to be treating the thing as a strange kind of revenge. He didn't have much of a chance at hurting Zack in anything even approach a fair fight, but he could try to put a dent in his wallet.

After lunch, Zack showed them around the rest of the place and while Fang was careful to note the layout of everything else, it became pretty clear that what they were after was in the office building they'd gone into earlier. A glance at a clock over on one of the buildings told her that it wouldn't be too much longer before three o'clock when she and Vanille had to go meet with Lightning and Quistis.

"I'm afraid we're going to have to call it a day," Fang said.

"You're leaving?" Nora asked. "It's not even late afternoon yet."

Fang shrugged. "Unfortunately, we've got some other business to take care of." She nodded at Zack. "Thank you for showing us around, Mr Fair."

Vanille grinned. "It was fun. We'll be sure to come back some time."

Zack smirked. "Well, if you do, just ask for me and I'll be sure to show you guys around again."

"We'll been in Eden City for at least another week," Nora said as she produced a slip of paper from her purse and handed it to Fang. "This is where we're staying. If you want, we could meet up later, perhaps see the city together."

Fang took the piece of paper. "That sounds like a fine idea, Nora. I'll be sure to let you know if we can set something up." She sighed. "Well, see you all later then."

Vanille giggled. "See you all later, Nora, Mr Fair, Hope."

As the two of them made their way out of the Cocoon place and over to the southern entrance of the Eden City Gardens to meet Quistis and Lightning, Fang glanced over at Vanille.

"You looked pretty happy back there, Vanille," Fang said. "Pretty cosy with that Zack fellow, I think."

"Well, of course I was happy. Did you see that printing press? And then there was that factory. It was great." Vanille made a face. "And besides, you know I was just fishing for information." She smirked. "You memorised the layout of that office building, right?"

Fang chuckled. "I suppose I can't argue with results."

"Anyway, Mr Fair was kind of cute, don't you think?" Vanille said with a grin. "And he was pretty nice."

"Cute? I'm not so sure about that and sure he was nice, but you could tell just as easily as I could that he's dangerous." Fang paused for a second. "Now that I think about it, his name does sound kind of familiar." She grinned. "Anyway, he wasn't the only one eyeing you something fierce. That Hope kid was looking at you too, you know."

Vanille laughed softly. "I know." She grinned wickedly. "Who knows, maybe we'll run into him a few years from now when he's grown up good and proper. He looks like he could be quite a man someday."

Fang smirked. "Well, if you're going to go after the kid one day, you'd better get straightened out – I don't think Nora would like a wanted criminal going after that son of hers."

"Like you're one to talk," Vanille replied, "Little miss tease the sheriff."

Fang huffed. "That's different and you know it."

It was just going on three o'clock when they reached the southern entrance of the Eden City Gardens. She and Vanille took a seat on one of the benches out front and waited patiently for Quistis and Lightning to arrive. For Fang, it was definitely worth the wait.

"Well, look what we have here," Fang drawled as she stood and ran her eyes over Lightning. The sheriff's hair was a deep jet black instead of pink. Fang hoped it was just a wig, because really, the sheriff's pink hair was too lovely to ruin by dying it black. But what really caught her was the fact that the sheriff was wearing a dress, and quite a pretty one too, although she figured Lightning would probably look good in just about anything. The dress was a darker shade of blue, picked just right to really contrast with the ice blue of her eyes and the paleness of her skin. "Never thought I'd see you in a dress, sunshine."

Lightning flushed and fidgeted. It was pretty clear to Fang that Lightning hadn't worn a dress for a while now, because she kept tugging at it like she wasn't quite sure how it should fit, although from where Fang was standing, it fit just fine. "My sister forced me to wear it," Lightning muttered.

Fang grinned. "Don't worry, sunshine, it looks good on you, real good." She glanced over at Vanille. "Besides, I know how you feel. One moment I'm in pants, the next moment I'm getting ambushed and shoved into a dress." She tilted her head to one side. "I don't suppose you've got a gun on you?"

Lightning nodded and tapped the purse she held, happy to move onto something a little more familiar. "I sure do. And you?"

Fang nodded back. She had a small pistol on one of her garters – one of the few concessions she'd managed to wrangle out of Vanille and Lahna – and one hidden away in the purse that she carried just like Lightning. "I've got two."

"So, how did things go?" Quistis asked. "Did you find what we were looking for?"

"I think so," Fang said. "Although, you really should be thanking Vanille. She just about flirted her way to victory."

Quistis raised one eyebrow. "You'll have to tell us about that sometime."

"I fully intend to," Fang said before her gaze drifted over to Lightning. Should she or shouldn't she?

"Well, what's the hold up?" Lightning asked. "Aren't you going to tell us what's going on?"

"You know what, sunshine, I could really use a cup of coffee about know. You care to join me?" Fang asked.

Lightning's eyes widened. "Coffee?"

"Why not? It's not like we'll be doing anything until this evening anyway, and it would be better to talk about this in private, unless you want everyone else to hear what we're planning." Fang grinned. "Of course, Vanille and Quistis are coming too, unless you'd like me all to yourself. I certainly wouldn't mind."

Lightning growled. "What did you say?"

Fang smiled sunnily. "You know, if you wanted to get my attention, you didn't have to dress up. I liked you just fine the way you were, although I have to say, sunshine, you do look mighty fetching in that dress."

Lightning stepped forward. She'd be damned if she let Fang get the better of her again. "I think you've got it the wrong way round. Maybe you dressed up to impress me." She looked down her nose at Fang. "Well, I'm not impressed."

Fang's eyes narrowed. "What was that?" She gestured down at herself. "What's not to be impressed by?"

Lightning bared her teeth. "You heard me."

Fang paused for a moment and then smirked. "You say that, but don't think I haven't seen you looking a little lower than my face, sunshine."

"I have not!" Lightning insisted before, out of reflex her eyes did just that. "Gah!"

"Heh, knew you couldn't resist," Fang said before Lightning's eyes snapped back up to hers. "What, see something you like?"

Lightning response was an inarticulate sound that was somewhere between a swear word and a scream.

Quistis sighed and looked at Vanille. "Is she always like this?"

Vanille nodded. "Just about." She smiled. "But don't worry, it won't be as bad as last time even if Fang does keep teasing Lightning. After all, it's pretty hard to fight properly in a dress, so it's not like they'll kill each other or anything."

"Ah, good point." Quistis glanced at the parasol in Vanille's hands. "Although you should probably keep that out of reach. It's not a sword, but I'm pretty sure Lightning could stab someone with it."

"You mean Fang?" Vanille asked.

"Definitely."

X X X

**Author's Notes**

As always, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off this.

Well… here I am again. It wasn't my intention to have more than a month between updates, but real life decided to give me a bit of a kick in the guts and then a whack upside the head with a 2 x 4 just for good measure. For those who are curious (I'm not sure who is, but humour me, at least, for a moment) the delay is largely due to two things. One, I've been working on emendations to my thesis, and two, my mother has recently undergone major surgery. In any case, I haven't had much time to write, but I hope to get back on track with updates and the like as things settle down.

Anyway, I'd like to apologise up front for the quality of this chapter. I feel a little rusty because of all the things that have happened recently, and I'm pretty sure it shows. However, I really needed to get this chapter out of the way so that I could clear some of the writing rust off and get back into the story. So anyway, this chapter is pretty clearly a set up for the next one. It's also (hopefully) somewhat humorous. The main idea of the chapter (and the title) was something I thought up while wondering about just how Vanille and Fang could go wandering about Cocoon without being too suspicious because obviously walking in there toting guns and looking like bandits wasn't going to work. It helped, of course, that it wasn't very hard to imagine Fang being just a little bit reluctant to get all dressed up while Vanille really got into it. Also, I wasn't trying to bash Hope. As cool as he will be one day, the kid has got a few years of growing still to do before he can go chasing after anyone (romantically or with a gun – although the two need not be mutually exclusive).

For those who are not aware of it, Zack Fair is from FF VII and Cid Raines is from FF XIII.

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	23. Chapter 23

**Tread Lightly**

Lightning swept her gaze over the saloon and felt her lip curl in disgust. She'd seen her fair share of rundown, no good saloons, but this was one of the worst. Grime clung to the faded, mouldy walls, and the wooden floors were scratched up and stained with what looked to a mix of blood, muck, and other things that didn't bear much thinking about. Just sitting in the place got her temper up, and it didn't help one bit that the clientele was mostly riff raff of the shadiest sort. Still, the saloon did have a thing or two going for it. First of all, it wasn't all that far from the Cocoon compound, even if it was hidden away in the backstreets. And second, it was the kind of place where everybody kept to themselves, which meant that she and the others could talk their plans for the night over without worrying about anyone listening in too closely. And if anyone did get it into their head to try and listen in, no one in the saloon would look twice if she started roughing people up.

"So," Lighnting began as her eyes moved from the rest of the saloon to the three other women sitting around the table. "What's our plan for tonight?"

A slow, lazy sort of smile crossed Fang's lips and Lightning had to stifle the urge to reach across the table, grab the bandit by the collar of her shirt and punch her in the jaw. She hadn't known Fang all that long, but she'd already come to recognise that look for what it was – the prelude to another smart mouth remark, something to either get her angry or embarrassed. Fang must have caught the narrowing of her eyes, because her smile widened. Before Fang could get a word out though, Vanille reached over and poked her in the cheek.

"I know what you're thinking, Fang, and now's not the time for tricky talking." Vanille did her best to look intimidating, but she really didn't have either the size or the glare for it. "You can tease the sheriff all you want later, but right now, we need to talk business."

"Well, I guess it can't be helped then," Fang drawled. "Our plan is actually pretty simple. We head on over to the Cocoon compound, bust our way in, get into that office building that Vanille and I told you about and search the place for the paperwork that we're after. Once we've got what we need, we just waltz on out of there." She smirked. "Sound good?"

"Good?" Lightning wasn't sure whether to be impressed by Fang's audacity or just downright annoyed with the pathetic excuse for a plan that the other woman had just laid out. She settled pretty quickly on getting annoyed. "You call that a plan?" She scowled. "If that's how you and Vanille have been operating so far, it's a damn miracle that you haven't been caught yet, Fang." She made sure to emphasise the last word, to draw out the other woman's name until it was almost an insult. Honestly, there was just something about Fang that got to her, that made her want to go spoiling for a fight, even if she knew now wasn't the time. Of course, that wasn't all that Fang made her feel. However, some of those other feelings, like that little tingle of nervousness that swept through her every time Fang's emerald eyes lingered on her, weren't the sort she wanted to think about too closely. "Just how do you think we'll be getting into the compound without being spotted? There's a pretty decent size fence around it, to say nothing about the patrols they've got going too."

Fang's eyes twinkled and Lightning once more got the feeling that Fang could see right through her. It was a strange sort of feeling, and she felt her blood warm even as a faint shiver ran through her. "Don't worry, sunshine, I never say anything I can't back up." She glanced over at Vanille. "Why don't you show them how we're going to get through the fence?"

The red head grinned and reached into the long coat that she wore. She pulled out a vial of clear liquid and waved it around with a little too much glee for Lightning's liking. "We'll be using this to get through the fence."

"What is it?" Lightning asked. "Although knowing you, I'm sure it'll do the job and then some."

"Acid, I'd guess," Quistis said as she gave Vanille a calculating look. "I didn't figure you for a chemist, although given how you and Fang seem to have a knack for blowing things up, maybe I shouldn't have been surprised." She sighed. "Although I'd appreciate it if you put it away for the time being. I don't fancy having to deal with something like that splashing on me."

Vanille rolled her eyes. "Don't you worry, marshal, I've worked with this kind of thing before. You're right though, it is acid, just the kind that can eat through iron or steel in a second or two without making too much noise or lighting the place up." She put the vial back into her coat. "We can use it to melt away a couple of bars in the fence, you know, give us a door of sorts. We can also use it on any locked doors we run into, although I figure we're all pretty good at picking locks." Out of the four of them, only Quistis had the decency to try and look innocent. "I will say though, it probably won't work on a safe, at least, not without maybe destroying what we're after, so if we do run into a safe, we'll just have to use a little finesse or…" She trailed off, a wild, crazy sort of smile on her face.

Lightning's eyes widened as Fang leaned over and slapped Vanille upside the head. There wasn't any real force behind the blow, but the shorter woman rounded on Fang with a scowl and threw a punch that got about an inch before Fang caught it. The sight of it almost made Lightning smile because really, it wasn't all that different from her and Serah, only it was Serah that did the slapping and unlike Vanille, she didn't bother hitting back. No, when Serah got into a fighting mood, it was usually better just to find some "sheriff business" and come back after she'd cooled down some.

"I know what you're thinking, Vanille, and we are not using those explosives that you cooked up." Fang glared at Vanille, but Vanille didn't look the least bit worried, if anything she just got more annoyed. "Now, I hate Cocoon just as much as you, and if I had my way, I'd blow the place sky high, but you heard what the marshal said the other day. If you go wild with those explosives of yours, it won't just be Cocoon you'll be blowing up, it'll be other people too, people we haven't got a quarrel with."

"Fang…" Vanille's expression turned downcast. "You don't have to be mean about. Besides," she mumbled. "We could still blow a couple of buildings up without harming anybody except Cocoon." She looked back at Fang, her green eyes wide and slightly watery. "Please?"

Fang recoiled away as if she'd been struck soundly on the jaw. "Now, Vanille, you stop looking at me like that right now."

As much as Lightning liked seeing Fang squirm, they needed to get back to business. "Vanille," Lightning said, "We're not going to be blowing anything up, not if things go right." Vanille turned to her with that look still on her face, but Lightning met her gaze squarely. As cutesy as Vanille looked with her bottom lip jutting out and her eyes all teary, she had nothing on Serah. Still, it was sort of adorable… "I suppose, if things did go bad, you might get a chance to use an explosive or two." She winced at the scowl Quistis sent her way and hastily added, "But only if we all agree it's necessary."

The sad look on Vanille face fell away instantly, and she was once more all chipper and cheerful. "You're pretty decent, sheriff, once you set your mind to things." She grinned and reached over to pat Lightning's hand. "You definitely have my blessings to go after old sour puss there." She pointed at Fang. "Although, I don't thing you'll have to try all that hard to get her."

Her blessings? Lightning's eyes widened and she felt her cheeks redden once again. Damn it, when had she started to blush so much? As quickly as she could, she fought the blush down and stared across the table at Vanille who had, apparently, realised that maybe she should have kept her mouth shut when it came to Lightning and Fang. "Now, you hold on just a second," Lightning began as Vanille scooted her chair closer to Fang, "I'll have you know that –"

"Ahem." Quistis coughed to get their attention. "That's about enough of all that, I think." Her blue eyes narrowed slightly. "Now, Fang, back to the plan. Sure, we can get past the fence with Vanille's help, but that still leaves the patrols." She glanced around the table. All of them were dressed in dark colours, which would help a little when it came to sneaking around. "But if we get spotted, we'll be in a tight spot because I know for a fact that Cocoon has got a whole heap of guards there, probably more than we have bullets. So, my question is, what do you know about the guards and their patrols?"

Fang laid a piece of paper on the table. "You know how we met earlier this afternoon? Well, when Vanille and I got back to where we're staying after that, I happened to receive a package. Now, I'm not normally in the habit of receiving packages that just drop in out of the blue, but I did make an exception for this one." She chuckled. "It had a cat drawn on the front, a very badly drawn one at that." She slid the piece of paper across the table over to Lightning. "To make a long story short, our friend Reeve might not be much of an artist but he does turn up some useful information. That there is a schedule for the patrols that Cocoon runs around the compound. Have a look, memorise it and then we'll head on over to the Cocoon compound."

Lightning took the schedule, careful to keep her fingers from touching Fang's. Just that afternoon, she'd felt a spark of something pass between the two of them when their hands had touched as Fang had passed her a cup of coffee. "How come Reeve didn't pass one of these onto us?" She gestured with one hand at herself and Quistis. "It seems mighty useful."

Quistis shrugged. "I've dealt with Reeve before, Lighting, and we do get along pretty decently, but I am a marshal and that does put a dampener on things. I figure that these two," she pointed at Vanille and Fang, "Have known him for a fair bit longer and with them being on the wrong side of law, they've probably worked with him a lot more too. The fact is if they ever thought to double cross him, he could probably bury them. He'd have a much harder time dealing with me if I ever thought to come after him." She smiled faintly. "Not that I ever would. There's a lot of people peddling secrets in Eden City, and not a one of them is half as decent or reliable as him."

"Fair enough." Lightning passed the schedule over to Quistis. It wasn't all that long, actually, and she'd pretty much got it memorised. "Why don't you take a look at this now, Quistis? I can't wait to get out of this place."

Fang tilted her head to one side. "Can wait to get down to business, can you sunshine?"

Lightning's lips thinned. "The sooner we get this mess sorted out, the better."

It didn't take Quistis much more than a minute or two to get the schedule memorised. After that, they headed out of the saloon and began to make their way over to the Cocoon compound. It was just going on midnight and apart from the occasional clatter of a far off carriage or still open saloon, there really wasn't all that much going on. It was a good thing though that the gas streetlights were on. If it wasn't for those, they'd have no choice but to go by the light of the moon or use a lamp, and neither option was particularly good for what they had in mind.

"It's quiet," Lightning murmured as they all hid in the shadows of a store across the road from Cocoon. It was a general store and right now the whole place was dark and still and quiet. "We should probably make our move now."

"Right." Fang pointed at a section of the fence. "Vanille and I will get the fence. Sunshine, you and Quistis keep an eye out. We might have the patrols figured out, but there's no telling when someone might walk by."

Lightning kept one eye out on the street and another one Vanille as the red head got to work. Wrapping a handkerchief over her face – most likely to block out the fumes – Vanille studied the bars of the fence intently. A moment later, she pulled a vial of acid from her coat and began to pour some of it onto the metal. The effects were pretty impressive. There was a faint hiss and then the metal began to dissolve. A sharp kick from Fang was enough to do the rest and knock several of the bars out of place. The resulting gap was more than wide enough for them to slip through one at a time, but still small enough that no one would notice it in the dark of the night unless they were really looking for it.

"All right," Vanille said. "We've got it. Now come on, let's go."

They crawled through the hole and came up behind a pretty large clump of bushes. Lightning felt a ghost of a smile cross her face. Bushes and trees and all that might look good, but they also provided plenty of cover and out West that meant trouble. In fact, one of the first things she'd done when she'd become sheriff was to strip the area outside her office of anything someone on the outside could use as cover. If someone wanted to try and take a shot at her when she was in her office, they'd have to be prepared to do so without having anything to hide behind.

"The office building we're after is over there." Vanille pointed to a large, plain looking building about a hundred yards off. "It might be a little troublesome getting into though."

Lightning nodded slowly. Vanille was dead right. Although the office building wasn't far off, there was an awful lot of open ground between them and it, not to mention that the area around the building itself was pretty well lit. Sure, there were some stone statues and other garden ornaments, but they were hardly big enough for a kid to hide behind, let alone any of them. Then there were the guards. She couldn't be entirely sure, but based on the schedule there should be seven of them there. "Okay," she murmured, "Vanille, you and Fang have been here before, right? In that case, you two take the lead and Quistis and I will follow." Her gaze sharpened. "But no shooting. If you fire, there's no doubt that the other guards on patrol will hear and they'll be on us before we know it." Shifting her gaze entirely to Vanille, she added, "And none of those explosives you've got, either. Those will be even worse."

Fang smirked and patted Vanille on the head. "It looks like she's got you figured, doesn't she?" She shifted her eyes over to the office building. "Okay then, let's get going. Follow me."

The next few minutes were pretty tense as Fang led the group from shadow to shadow. Along the way, Lightning had to admit that she was downright impressed. There might not be a lot of cover around, but what little there was, Fang made excellent use of. Heck, Lightning wasn't sure if she could have done a better job of sneaking around and she liked to pride herself on her ability to do whatever needed doing. Still, Fang just had to ruin her good humour by flashing her that wicked grin that let Lightning know that Fang could tell exactly what she was thinking.

"So," Fang said as she pressed herself against the side of one of the buildings. "Now, we get to the tricky part." She leaned away from the wall and looked around the corner. "Reeve was spot on. There are seven guards there and they're spaced into three groups, too far apart to be taken down together, at least by one person." She shot Lightning a teasing look. "I figure I can take the two closest to us, how about you, sunshine?"

Lightning looked around the corner. The group closest to them were about thirty feet away. Given that she'd fought Fang a couple of times now already, she didn't doubt for a second that the other woman could handle them just fine. The next group had three guards and was another thirty feet further away than the first group. Finally, there was a third group of two guards that was on the far side of the courtyard, perhaps eighty feet from where she and the others were standing. "Let me think…" Her foot bumped into something and she looked down. There were pebbles scattered along the ground, probably from one of the garden beds. She smiled. "I'll take the pair on the far side."

"Oh?" Fang's eyes sparkled and Lightning shivered. "And how do you suppose you'll manage that?"

Lightning poked another pebble with her foot. "With one of those. Trust me, I can hit just about anything."

"Really?" Fang murmured. "You'll have to show me sometime."

Vanille rolled her eyes. "I guess that leaves the three in the middle for the marshal and I." She grinned at Quistis. "Come on, we'll swing around the other side and get a bit closer to them." Her lips curved upward. "I'll use the usual signal to let you know when we're ready to go, Fang."

As Vanille and Quistis slunk off into the shadows, Lightning slanted another look at Fang. The other woman's eyes were gleaming in the darkness, alight with an almost feral intensity. This, she realised, was what Fang lived for and if she was honest, maybe so did she. She took a breath to steady herself. "Vanille said she'd be using the usual signal, what is that?"

Fang grinned. "Ever heard the sound a chocobo makes when it's mad?"

A small smile crossed Lightning's lips. She knew exactly what an angry chocobo sounded like. Back when she'd been a kid, she'd been mighty stubborn. Heck, most people would probably say she was still stubborn. Anyway, her father had got it into his head that she needed to learn how to ride a chocobo and while that wouldn't have been too bad, the chocobo he'd tried to teach her on had been every bit as stubborn as her. So the two of them, girl and bird, had spent a month testing each other until eventually things had boiled over. She couldn't remember what she'd said to the chocobo, but it must not have liked her tone, because she'd ended up running for her life with the bird behind her screeching its rage. She was just lucky that Serah hadn't been around, otherwise she'd never have heard the end of it. "I do," Lightning said, shaking herself from the memory. "I most certainly do."

Fang raised one eyebrow. "Sounds like you have a story to tell. Anyway, that's the sound that Vanille will use to let us know she's ready."

A few moments passed and then the signal came. The strange, angry sounding squawk had all the guards looking around to try and find the source, which gave Fang and Lightning just the opening they needed. As Lightning palmed two pebbles, Fang darted forward. She reached the first guard before he had time to turn and her fist caught him flush on the point of the chin. He slumped to the ground and the second guard whirled, hand already halfway to his pistol. He never made it that further though, because Fang grabbed that same hand, stepped forward and turned to sling him up and over her shoulder. He hit the ground with a thud and lay still.

Farther ahead, Vanille and Quistis leapt into the thick of things. The marshal laid into one man, landing a kick to the jaw that lifted up off his feet and into the clump of bushes behind him. The second turned to yell for help and she dived, cutting him off, before they hit the ground in a tangle of limbs. Quistis came out on top and one punch was all she needed to put him down. In the meantime, Vanille had used the stock of her shotgun to club the third man across the face and just for good measure she added a kick to gut.

In the midst of all this, Lightning was measuring the throws she'd have to make. Naturally, she noticed the other three handle their targets, it was hard not to, but in truth, her eyes and her attention were on the two guards furthest away. They were right under the gas lights, so she had no trouble picking them out. The only question was: could she drop them both before they made a sound? A small smile played at her lips. Of course she could.

She took one pebble from the palm of her left hand and rolled it around in the palm of her right. It was a pretty small thing, just about half the size of her thumb, but it would do. Eyes narrowed in concentration, she stepped out into the open and the entire world narrowed down to just the two guards and her. One of them went for his gun, his right hand skimming the holster before she drew back her arm and threw the pebble. The pebble streaked through the air and there was a dull thud as it struck him in the forehead. He went down as if he'd been shot and as the other guard hesitated, eyes wide with disbelief, she threw her second pebble and hit him too.

"That wasn't half bad, sunshine," Fang murmured as the group dragged the guards out of the light cast by the gas lights and into some shrubbery. "Although, I really shouldn't be surprised." She grinned and rubbed her jaw. "After all, you've got a hell of an arm on you."

Involuntarily, Lightning found her eyes drawn first to Fang's chin by the gesture, and then her lips. They were very nice lips. "Never mind that," she muttered, putting a scowl on her face and hoping that Fang hadn't caught her staring. "Let's head inside."

However, Fang hadn't missed Lightning look at all and Lightning was hard pressed to hold her scowl in place as Fang ran her tongue over her lips. "I guess we should." Fang pointed at the door and took off her hat. "Ladies first, sunshine."

It took them less than a minute to get the front door of the office building open and once they were inside, they locked it after them.

"I think we should split up here," Quistis said. "I'm guessing that none of you are exactly experts when it comes to dealing with money." Fang opened her mouth to speak and Quistis grinned. "And no, being able to steal money does not count. Anyway, I should be able to tell if anything up there is going to be useful, but I'll need one of you to show me around the office." She glanced at Vanille. "How about this? Fang, you and Lightning can stay down here and keep watch. We've got those guards hidden away so we should have maybe fifteen minutes, but it'd help if we had someone down here in case things went wrong. Vanille can come with me, you know, show me where that restricted area is." She chuckled. "And if there's something there like a safe or a door that needs dealing with, I figure she'll come in pretty handy."

Vanille nodded. "Sounds good." She turned and headed off toward the stairs, Quistis a step or two behind her. "Oh and you two," she said, turning to look over her shoulder at Lightning and Fang, "Try not to kill each other while we're gone."

Lightning inclined her head. "Don't worry, I'll be right here when you come back."

"What?" Fang's said as she turned to narrow her eyes at Lightning. "What about me?" Lightning just shrugged. "Hey!"

X X X

Vanille put one hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles as she headed up the stairs. Slowing just a little so that Quistis could draw level with her, she shot the other woman an amused look. "Do you think it was a good idea to leave those two alone? I mean, we are trying to keep things quiet, and as much as I like Fang, I have this feeling she'll let her mouth get away with her and then the sheriff will start shooting."

"You know, you just might be right about that," Quistis said. "But I figure Lightning will have the decency to wait till we're done here before she starts shooting. Besides," she murmured, a thoughtful look on her face, "I have a feeling that even if Lightning did start shooting, she wouldn't be shooting to kill."

"Oh?" Vanille's eyes twinkled with mischief and she draped one arm over Quistis' shoulder, which was a tad awkward given the difference in height between them. "They do get on pretty well, don't they, punching and shooting aside, don't you think?" She giggled. "Remember when we were having coffee this afternoon? Fang was getting all flirty with Lightning and sure, Lightning was glaring something fierce, but she was blushing a fair bit too." A dreamy sort of look came to Vanille's eyes. "It's so romantic, don't you think? The outlaw and the sheriff, brought together by all this trouble and…"

"Vanille," Quistis said, shrugging the red head's arm off her shoulder. "I think we should probably worry about settling all this business with Cocoon before we start worrying about anything else." She paused. "But, if I had to bet my money on it, I'd probably say you were right." She looked around furtively. "Just don't tell Lightning I said that, and if you want to stay in one piece, don't you mention any of your ideas to her either."

Vanille laughed softly. "Don't worry, marshal, I know when to keep my mouth shut." She took a quick look at their surroundings. "Hey, look, we're almost there."

They made quick time through the rest of the building and Vanille breathed a sigh of relief. She'd been pretty confident that she'd gotten the layout of the place memorised, but it was a bit hard to be sure, what with the way all the offices and corridors looked the same. However, her relief didn't last more than a few seconds because not ten feet from the door that led to the restricted area was an office and in that office there was someone sleeping at one of the tables.

"What the heck?" Vanille growled. "What is he doing there?"

"Sleeping by the looks of it." Quistis peeked into the office and winced. "I should have thought of this. Financial reports and the like are due in around this time of the year, so he probably stayed late to finish some work up and just fell asleep at his table." She sighed and turned back to the door into the restricted area. "We'll just have to keep things quiet. So long as we do, he'll never even know we were here."

The two of them got to work on the door, careful to keep everything as quiet as they could. Unfortunately, Vanille hadn't managed to get a closer look at it earlier in the day, but from what she could tell, it might get a bit tricky. They got the first lock open pretty fast, but for the life of her, she couldn't work out exactly what was keeping the door shut after that. There must be another lock, or maybe even two or three more, but there didn't seem to be a way of getting at them without blowing down the door, which really wasn't an option right now, even if it would be pretty fun.

"Vanille, you've still got some acid left, right?" Quistis asked.

Vanille nodded. "Sure, I've got some, but not enough to melt the whole lock if that's what you were thinking."

Quistis grinned. "You won't have to. Look." She pointed to the gap between the edge of the door and the doorframe. Squinting, Vanille could just make out the heavy dead bolt that held the door in place. "Think you can get any of that acid onto that dead bolt there? Once that's gone, we should be able to just swing the door open."

"You know, marshal I like the way you think." Vanille tilted her head to one side to get a better view before she took out another vial of acid and got to work. A couple of minutes later, they were able to swing the door open. On the other side was a large office area lit by a couple of gas lamps with at least half a dozen tables set out, along with a fair number of shelves and cabinets. "This looks tricky," she muttered, "How are we going to find what we're after amongst all this? We could be here all night."

"Don't worry about that," Quistis replied as she stepped into the centre of the room. "I've been working cases like this for a while now, and one thing I've learned is that most companies like to keep things orderly. Give me a few minutes to poke around and I'll have this place figured out." She paused and looked around the room, her eyes finally coming to rest on one of the wood panelled columns that supported the ceiling. "Have a look at that, Vanille, it seems a little thicker than the other columns. I'll bet ever gil I've got on me that there's a safe or something hidden there. See if you can't get it open while I take a look around." She raised one finger to her lips. "And keep it quiet too."

As Vanille got to work on the column, poking and prodding it for any sign of something hidden, she was careful to keep an eye on Quistis. In all honesty, she hadn't really paid all that much attention to the marshal before, but maybe she should have. The woman was pretty handy in a fight, but that didn't really impress Vanille all that much – she did, after all, spend most of her time around Fang. However, there something mighty impressive about the way Quistis breezed through the office, her keen blue eyes taking in everything she saw as she puzzled out how everything was organised. In just a few minutes, she seemed to have it figured, because Quistis began to move from table to table, plucking up pieces of paper and stowing them in the satchel she'd brought along.

"What are those?" Vanille asked.

"These are all related to the financial trick that Cocoon seems to be pulling." Quistis pointed at another stack of paper she'd begun to look through. "And these seem to be related to some of the projects that they've got in the works. It's not exactly what we're looking for, but I'm pretty sure that Shinra will be interested in it."

Vanille nodded and then paused. It was a little thing, barely noticeable really, but there was a section of the column that felt a little different from the rest. Leaning over to place her head against it, she rapped it once with her knuckles. The sound that came back sounded awfully hollow.

"Quistis," Vanille said. "Come over here." She pulled the wooden panelling away to reveal a large hollow in the column with a safe set into it. "Just like you said, there was a safe here." She gave Quistis a hopeful look. "You ever think about switching careers, marshal? I think you'd make a pretty fine bandit."

Quistis chuckled. "Maybe, but I'm happy on my side of the law." She looked at the safe. "Think you can get it open?"

Vanille grinned. "You know, you'd think a company as rich as Cocoon could fork out a little more cash when it came to security." She tapped the safe with one finger. "You see this safe? It's not exactly the newest model. In fact, I've cracked one just like it before, so it shouldn't take me too long." She cracked her knuckles. "Just stand back and let me work, marshal." She gave Quistis a teasing look. "You could take notes too, if you want."

True to her word, Vanille had the safe wide open pretty quickly. Rather than money, the inside of the safe was full of papers.

"So, marshal," Vanille said, "Have we found what we're looking for?"

Quistis smile was mighty big and all sorts of crafty as she thumbed through the papers. "I think we do, Vanille, I think we do." She divided the papers into two stacks and put one stack into her satchel and gave the other to Vanille. "You've got a satchel of your own, right? Put those in it."

Vanille did as she was asked and then gave Quistis a keen look. "Why'd you do that? You could have put all the papers in your satchel and I probably wouldn't have noticed until later."

Quistis shrugged. "We're in this together. Splitting the papers up means we've got to keep on working together until we've got things sorted." A thin smile crossed her face. "It also means that if something happens to one of us, at least we won't leave this place with nothing."

"Good thinking," Vanille said. "Now, how about we head on out of here?"

They were just heading out of the restricted area when something plain stupid happened. Someone had left a typewriter out in the corridor, probably because it needed fixing. In the faint light coming in through the windows and from the odd gas lamp left on in the office area, neither of them noticed it until Vanille tripped over it. She went down hard, but even then she didn't make much of a sound – but the door she crashed into did.

As the crashed faded away, Quistis shot a look into the office where they'd seen the man sleeping before. Well, he wasn't sleeping anymore, and if the look on his face was any judge, he'd probably just worked out what they were up to. "Aw, hell."

X X X

Lightning had never really minded the quiet. In fact, she probably liked things better that way. The only problem was, Fang didn't seem to agree.

"You going to just stand there and brood the whole time, sunshine?" Fang drawled. "Not that you don't look good brooding." She smirked.

Lightning looked very deliberately out of the window next to her. "We're supposed to be keeping watch, Fang."

Fang chuckled. "Well, you know, we can keep watch and talk at the same time." She put on a look of mock surprise. "Oh, look, sunshine, we're doing that right now."

"You like making things difficult, don't you?" Lightning muttered back as she entertained a thought or two about shooting Fang. Still, it was getting pretty boring just waiting for Quistis and Vanille to get back. "I suppose we could talk a little though." Fang's face lit up. "But only if I get to ask you a few questions." Fang's smile faded just a little.

"Fine," Fang said before a mischievous look crossed her face. "But fair's fair. If you ask me a question, I get to ask you one back."

"It seems a bit strange to here you talking about fair," Lightning shot back. "Besides, why should I answer anything you ask me?" She was a pretty private sort of person and Fang already understood her a little too well for her liking.

Fang smirked. "You got something to hide, sunshine?"

"I've got nothing to hide," Lightning snapped before she grimaced. She'd walked right into that one. "So…" she began. "How'd you and Vanille end up as bandits? I can see you being one, but Vanille doesn't exactly strike me as the type."

Fang gave a low whistle. "You sure cut to the chase, don't you, sunshine? And just for the record, I'm hurt you think so poorly of me." She put on a hurt look, but Lightning gave her a glare to show that she wasn't fooled in the least. "Still, I don't see any harm in telling you, in fact, I figure you might see where I'm coming from." She paused and glanced out the window to where the moon was shining, low and large in the sky. "You see, Vanille and me have always been together, even back when were kids. Hell, I can't even remember what it was like not having her around. And, well, after…"

"After?"

"After Cocoon messed everything up for us, she was, literally, the only thing I had left in the whole world." Fang gave Lightning a steady look. "I won't tell the details – that's not something I like talking about too much – but I'll tell you this. Vanille and I lost everything because of Cocoon. We lost our friends. We lost our home. We lost everything." Her lips pulled back into a snarl. "That all happened back when we were kids, but even then we could tell that we'd never get justice the normal way, not two scrappy orphaned kids against a big, rich old company like Cocoon." She tapped the gun at her side. "No, if we wanted justice, we'd have to get it ourselves, the old fashioned way. Besides, we might be bandits, but it's not like we rob just anybody. It's Cocoon we're after."

"I'd heard you only robbed Cocoon banks and the like," Lighting said. "Is that really true?"

Fang nodded. "That's should count as a question, sunshine, but I'll give you this one for free." She rubbed the back of her head. "As a matter of fact, that is pretty much true. I mean, Vanille and I only go after Cocoon stuff. Sometimes though, people get in the way, you know, marshals and the like, but really, our quarrel is with Cocoon. So long as people stay out of our way, we've got no problem with them." She glanced back at Lightning. "How about you, sheriff? What made a nice girl like you sign up to join the law? I bet your parents weren't too happy about that."

"I wouldn't know," Lightning said quietly. "I lost them a while back."

Fang winced. "Sorry about that. I didn't know."

Lightning shrugged. She should probably be angry, but she could seem to find it in her, not when Fang actually looked sincere in her apology. It was strange too, to see something beside a teasing look in the other woman's eyes. "Don't worry about. Anyway, once my parents passed on, I had to look after my sister and times were pretty tough." She swallowed thickly, thinking back to those awful days. "No one was hiring, you see, and I would have done almost anything to make sure my sister could get by and…" she sighed. "And then I got an offer from the sheriff to come work for him. It started pretty simple, you know, just chores and paperwork, but I took to it pretty well and it turned out that I was pretty good with a gun." Her eyes drifted to the shadows on the floor. "I've been doing it ever since."

Fang's voice was uncharacteristically soft as she spoke. "Ever dream of doing anything else?"

"That counts as a question," Lightning said. "But I guess I owe you one." She shrugged. "Not really. I like what I do. I like being able to make a difference, to be able to go to bed each night and know that I'm doing my bit to make things better. And I'm glad to be able to do what I do, otherwise I'd never have been able to look after my sister." She looked over at Fang. "How about you, Fang? Let's say you and Vanille get your revenge and bring Cocoon down, what exactly are you two going to get up to?"

Fang chuckled, but there was something a little hollow about the sound that had Lightning studying the other woman more closely. "You know, I hadn't really thought about that." That was a lie, Lightning thought. "But I'm not stupid. Cocoon is pretty tough and even assuming we manage to win, it'd take a miracle for us all to get out of it in one piece." She laughed softly and reached down to pull her gun free. Eyes on Lightning she tapped the barrel of the weapon against the side of her head. "But I'll make damn sure that Vanille gets through things okay. Hell, I'll tear down the sky if it'll save her. But if things do work out okay, then I figure Vanille and I might get a place somewhere, you know, settle down. She's pretty good with animals, so I figure she could have a chocobo ranch or something. As for me, I don't know." She laughed. "I'll probably have to stick around, keep Vanille out of trouble. Who knows? I might even up a sheriff some place."

For a long moment, Lightning said nothing. She didn't know what to say. But she did know that she didn't like the look in Fang's eyes one bit. It was a look she'd seen in the mirror all those years ago when she'd headed out into the night thinking she'd have to sell herself to buy her sister's future. Amodar had been there for her then, even if he could have just as easily have walked away. "You know," she said, the words spilling out of her before she could stop them, "There's good land up near Bodhum, just right for a chocobo ranch and I could always use a deputy."

Fang looked at her and laughed. "That's a nice joke, sunshine."

"I'm dead serious," Lightning said.

Fang's eyes widened. "You really mean that, don't you? Even after everything I've done, you'd still take me on? Are you nuts?"

"Maybe I am," Lightning murmured, "But I can judge a person just as well as anyone." Her lips curved up into a ghost of a smile. "And let me tell you, you're annoying, you're tricky, you tease me far too much and sometimes I get the feeling that I'm one step away from filling you with lead, but, Fang… I've got you figured as someone decent, even if you do a damn good job of hiding it." By the end of it, Lightning had dropped her eyes a little, not quite able to bring herself to meet Fang's gaze.

But when she looked back up, Fang was smiling at her and it wasn't a smirk or a grin or any of the hundred or so different kinds of teasing looks that Fang seemed to have. No, it was a real smile, honest and truthful and whole. It was the kind of smile that welled up from deep inside and it made Fang's eyes shine like twin emerald pools and Lightning couldn't help but think that just then the ruggedly attractive woman was, to put it simply, the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. "That means a lot to me, sunshine, it really does." Fang's voice was so soft that Lightning had to strain to catch it. "Out West, you learn to take the measure of a person and you learn pretty quick that fine words don't mean a thing if they're coming from scum. But from you… well, what you said to me might be the nicest thing that anyone's ever said to me." She coughed self-consciously and then grinned. "So I'll tell you what, sunshine, after all this is over, I might just take you up on your offer. After all, I figure Bodhum could use a little livening up and someone's got to keep an eye on you." She slowly and very deliberately eyed Lightning, her gaze running from the soles of Lightning's boots to the hat on her head. "Isn't that right?"

"Damn it," Lightning muttered as she looked away. "Don't get weird on me because of what I said."

"Why not?" Fang teased. "I never knew you liked me so much." She chuckled at Lightning's horrified look. "Now, sunshine, it's my turn to ask a question –"

CRASH!

Fang stopped midsentence as the sound of breaking glass filled the air followed by a panicked scream. If that wasn't bad enough, whoever it was that had just gone sailing through one of the upstairs windows didn't just fall on the ground. Instead, they landed on one of the storage sheds where equipment was stored. The wooden structure came apart with a heck of ruckus and Lightning realised with cold certainty that there was absolutely no way that the din had gone unnoticed by the other patrols.

A few seconds later, Vanille and Quistis came bounding down the stairs, a troubled look on the blonde's face as Vanille babbled wildly.

"I didn't mean to kick that guy out the window," Vanille wailed. "He just grabbed on to me so I did the first thing I could think of."

Quistis sighed. "Look, it doesn't matter now. The fact is, the other patrols are probably headed this way right this instant, so we need to get out of here right now."

Lightning nodded. "Did you get what we came for?"

Quistis pointed at the satchels that she and Vanille were carrying. "We sure did. Now, come on, let's get moving."

Quistis had just started to open the door when Fang gave a growl.

"Don't go out there!" Fang shouted, her eyes trained on the window next to her.

Quistis jerked away from the door and just in time too. Bullets ripped into the doorframe, sending slivers of mangled wood every which way. As Quistis scrambled back there was a roar and a shotgun blast all but blew the door off its hinges.

"Well, damn," Quistis muttered. "Looks like they're already here."

Lightning nodded grimly. If they got boxed in here, they were done for. Sure, they'd be able to hold the guards off for a while, but more and more of them would show up until eventually they either ran out of bullets or got overrun. They needed to get out onto open ground. Her eyes flicked to the window not far from her. It was large, almost as large as she was, actually. With a determined set to her jaw, she strode across the room, grabbed a chair and flung it through the window. The window shattered and she used the barrel of her pistol to clear the remaining glass away. "I'm going to get their attention," she said as she leapt through the window. "Storm the door once I do."

Fang grinned madly. "Sunshine never does things halfway, does she?"

Quistis chuckled. "No, she doesn't."

Outside, Lightning scrambled for cover. There wasn't much about, but she managed to throw herself behind one of the stone statues that dotted the area. It didn't cover more than half of her, but it was better than nothing. As she waited for a chance to fire back, a bullet struck the statue just a few inches from her head. Dust kicked up and she snarled. That was a little too close.

Finally, there was a break in the shooting and she leaned out from behind the statute, a gun in each hand and fired furiously. The area was pretty well lit, so she didn't have much trouble lining up her shots. Her first two shots hit the guard closest to the door of the office building. He gave a harsh cry and spun away, his chest a bloody mess. Pretty soon after that, another guard went down, caught once in the neck and again in the chest, and then a third joined him, struck in the arm and the head. But the remaining guards were onto her now, and they dove for cover, firing as they went.

"How long are you planning to stay in there?" Lightning roared to the others. "Come on!"

And then there was a boom as Vanille came out of the door, her shotgun braced against her shoulder as she drew a bead on one of the guards and fired. He couldn't have been more than twenty feet away and the shot picked him up and threw him clear into the darkness beyond the gas lights that lit the area by the buildings. A second later, Fang and Quistis were out the door, as well, both of them shooting as they came, Fang with a wild grin on her face, and Quistis all business. It was quick and brutal and the remaining guards never stood a chance.

"There are more of them headed this way," Fang said as she reloaded. In the darkness beyond the gas lights, it was easy enough to make out the glow of at least two dozen lamps headed their way. "And by the looks of things, they're coming from the direction we broke in from." She made a face. "We're going to need to find another way out."

"Or we could make another way out," Vanille said with a smug look. "Or have you forgotten that I'm carrying explosives?"

Lightning's eyes narrowed. "That's a good point, but before we can blow a hole in the fence, we'll have to reach it first." And with the number of guards headed their way that would be a pretty tall task even for them. What they needed now was a distraction, something to draw some of the guards away. "Say, Vanille, how many of those explosives do you have?"

Vanille shrugged. "A lot of them. Why?"

Fang followed Lightning's gaze to where the printing press building was. "I think sunshine wants you to give us a distraction." She smirked. "That printing press is worth a stack of cash, right? How about you give them something else to worry about instead of chasing us."

The look on Vanille's face was comical. "But its state of the art, Fang! It's just… do we really have to blow that up? Couldn't we blow something else up instead?"

"That's the point," Fang said. "There's no way they'll just let it go without at least trying to save it, so it'll definitely cut their numbers down a little if we lob an explosive or two at it."

"Fine," Vanille growled. "I suppose we could blow it up."

"Good." Lightning nodded. "Vanille, the rest of us will cover you. Get a move on."

As Vanille broke into a jagged run for the printing press building, Lightning and the others got into position to cover her. They were lucky that the guards hadn't bothered to ditch their lamps. In the dim light beyond the buildings, it might've been hard to sight them, but the lamps made it almost a little too easy to pick them off. Still, the sheer number of guards was beginning to get a bit troublesome and Lightning had to duck back behind the side of one of the buildings to reload as another group arrived to add their gunfire to the battle.

"What's taking Vanille so long?" Lightning shouted over the gunshots.

The answer came in the form of a tremendous explosion that blew the roof off the printing press building and shattered every pane of glass in the area. Lightning swayed, struggling to keep her footing as the ground trembled and great spires of flame and smoke rose from the ruined building. The guards fared little better, with most of them staring at the blasted out building in a mixture of awe and horror. It was just the effect that Lightning had been hoping for.

"Head for the fence!" Lightning shouted. "Move!"

The group sprinted for the fence, Vanille muttering apologies to the surely ruined printing press the whole way. Glancing over her shoulder, Lightning saw that fully half the guards had stopped to try and contain the blaze, but she could already see that it was a futile task. There was no way anything could have survived the blast and from the look on Vanille's face, the red seemed to think so too.

They were halfway to the fence when another group of guards cut them off. They split up, Vanille and Quistis diving for some trees while Fang and Lightning took cover behind a stone bench.

"They're not half bad," Fang muttered. "Definitely well organised." She grinned. "Looks like we'll just have to fight our way through. You up to it, sunshine?"

Lightning didn't even bother to reply. Instead, she just nodded once and then pushed out from behind the stone bench. Fang moved with her and the two of them turned to face the guards, guns blazing. Lightning took the ones on the right and Fang took the ones on the left. A guard fired, his shot going just wide of Fang and the emerald-eyed woman fired back, one bullet catching him in the gut, another just above the heart. The guard yelped and fell back, smashing a wooden stall.

From behind them, Lightning heard more gunfire as Vanille and Quistis started shooting, the faster rhythm of Quistis' pistol all but drowned out by the thunder of Vanille's shotgun. Scowling, Lightning ducked, letting Fang shoot over the top of her as she reloaded and a moment later she returned the favour, standing over Fang as the other woman reloaded as fast as she could.

"Damn," Fang muttered as a fresh wave of shots forced them back behind cover. "There sure are a lot of them." She turned to where Vanille and Quistis were hunkered down. "Vanille, give us some covering fire? Sunshine and here are going to go right up the middle."

Vanille giggled. "Sure thing."

"Quistis," Lightning said. "How about you swing around, they'll be too worried about the two of us to see you coming." Quistis nodded.

"On three then," Fang said. There was a big damn smile on her face and even though Lightning wasn't smiling, she knew that her eyes were shining just like Fang's. They were both enjoying this. "One… two… three!"

Lightning and Fang burst into motion and the instant they were out in the open, Lightning fired twice. Two guards went down and then Fang fired, adding two more to her tally. As the other guards began to return fire in earnest, Vanille gave them both barrels and a whole hell of a lot to think about, her shotgun a booming counterpoint to the shorter, sharper sounds of the pistol fire. Lamps clattered to the ground, dropped from suddenly slack hands, their light casting crazy shadows across the garden as Fang and Lightning pushed forward.

For her part, Lightning was having the time of her life. She'd fought with people she trusted before – Quistis, for instance – but she'd never felt so strong before. It was like nothing the guards did mattered to her and Fang. The other woman seemed to know, even without asking or looking, where to shoot and how to move so that rather than just fighting together, they were fighting as a team, the two of fitting together like they'd been fighting side by side since the day they'd been born. They might only be holding two guns each, but damn if it didn't feel like they might as well be holding twenty.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lightning saw another group of guards drawing near, but then Quistis was there, catching them off guard and diving right into the thick of them. The marshal was shooting in all directions, so close to them that she could hardly miss and with her right in the middle they couldn't risk shooting in case they hit each other instead of her.

"Come on," Lightning said as the guards fell back. "We're nearly there."

And indeed they were. The only thing standing between them and the fence was a small cottage, probably used by one of the caretakers who looked after the gardens. Unfortunately for them, about a dozen guards had decided to use the place to stage one last ditch attempt to stop them.

"You know," Fang said, glancing over at Quistis as they took cover. "I thought you were joking about Cocoon having more guards than we have bullets. It turns out, you're probably right."

"Well, I can't say I'm happy about being right," Qusitis said as a bullet dug into the tree she was hiding behind, the shot only a few inches from her head. "That cottage is going to be tricky. They've got a lot of cover and we don't exactly have all that much." She looked forward to where Lightning had been forced to take refuge behind a flimsy looking bench.

"We could always use one of my explosives," Vanille said conversationally as she peeked out from behind the statue she was hiding behind. "They are clustered up pretty tightly there and there are a lot more of them headed this way. Besides, it's not like they don't already know we're here."

Lightning winced. The last couple of shots had been much too close for her liking and Vanille was right. Back the way they'd just come from a whole heap more guards were coming. "Fine," Lightning said. "Go for it, Vanille."

Vanille gave a little cackle and reached into her coat for an explosive, lit it and then threw it at the cottage. There was a couple of second's delay before the cottage exploded. Guards and timber went flying everywhere and Vanille waited just long enough for the dust to clear before she took a second explosive and lobbed it at the fence.

"Okay," Vanille chirped. "There's our way out of here."

The four of them darted forward, firing on the stragglers. Then, they were past the smoking rubble of the fence and out on the street. They sprinted for the shadows and made a beeline for the back streets and alleys that they knew would let them loose anyone who'd been able to keep up with them. They wound their way through the back streets and alleys for a good half an hour before they were finally certain that no one had managed to trail them.

"That was a heck of a way to spend a night," Fang said with a smirk. "It was fun though."

Quistis shook her head. "A little too fun, if you ask me." She looked over at Fang. "So, you've got the next meeting with Reeve set up, right?"

Fang nodded. "Tomorrow night," she said. "It'll be at the saloon we were at earlier."

Lightning made a face. "Can't we pick some place else?"

Fang chuckled. "Any place nicer is probably going to ask too many questions."

"All right then," Quistis said. "Looks like we'll see you and Vanille tomorrow night." She paused. "Look after yourselves."

Fang nodded. "We always do." She smiled at Lightning. "We make a pretty good team, don't we, sunshine?"

Lightning smiled grudgingly. "I suppose we do."

X X X

"What a big damn mess," Zack muttered as he took in the smoking ruins of what had been the printing press building. If that wasn't bad enough, the printing press itself was little more than a melted pile of scrap metal. He turned and surveyed the rest of the damage. There were bullet holes everywhere along with bloodstains and scorch marks. There was also a big hole in the fence and one of the caretakers' cottages had been blown to bits. He slanted a look at Cid. "Do you really think just four people could have done this?"

Cid nodded slowly. Like Zack, he'd been dragged out of bed early in the morning when reports of gunfire had come from the compound. He'd arrived to find the makings of a disaster and now, with the full extent of the damage visible in the early morning light, it was pretty clear that a disaster didn't even come close to describing it. "Apparently."

"Well, if that's the case, I'd like to meet them," Zack said with a grin. "It's been a while since I had a challenge." However, the smile dropped off his face when he caught sight of the person headed toward them. "Tell you what, Cid, I'll leave Hojo to you. I've got to go, uh, supervise the clean up."

Cid chuckled softly as he watched Zack almost sprint away. He couldn't really blame the other man. Hojo might be one of Cocoon's most valuable employees, a genius, really, but he was nothing if not… eccentric. In truth, Cid didn't like Hojo either, he was just better at hiding it. There was something detestable about Hojo, from the hunched, shuffling walk he had, to the eerie gleam that seemed to flash in his eyes whenever he thought no one was looking. Make no mistake, Hojo was dangerous and Cid was smart enough to keep wary of him, even if he was working for Cocoon.

"This is quite the mess, isn't it?" Hojo began. "And here I am, only a day back from the West."

"I assure you, the culprits will be caught." Cid's eyes narrowed.

"I don't doubt it. You've always been very thorough." Hojo grinned darkly. "Tell me, Cid, how are you going to catch them?"

Cid frowned faintly. He didn't like the hungry look in Hojo's eyes one bit. "I've spoken to some of the guards. It's pretty clear to me that they knew the layout of this place along with our patrol schedules. Whoever they are, they've been here recently." He glanced at the remains of the printing press building. "They also broke into the restricted area and removed some of the papers that are kept there."

"The restricted area? How interesting." Hojo raised one eyebrow. "But based on what else you've said perhaps they were a visitor here? Or maybe… a client?"

Cid nodded. "Those were my thoughts." He paused and then continued, "Just yesterday we had a new client come in, a man by the name of Estheim. He had two visitors with him too who seemed pretty keen to take a look at the place. At the time I didn't think too much of it, but now…"

"Ah." Hojo grinned widely and Cid felt a chill run through him. "Then why don't we find this Estheim and pay him a visit?" He chuckled. "I'd very much like to see if he knows anything." His eyes glittered. "And if he doesn't feel like talking, well, I have ways of making people talk."

X X X

**Author's Notes**

As always, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off this.

Well, here we are again. I'm happy that I was able to get this chapter out a bit more quickly than the last one. It's not exactly story-related, but I'd like to thank all of you for your kind thoughts regarding some of the things I mentioned in the author's notes of the last chapter. My mother's surgery went well and she'd doing much better. Thank you for your consideration – it's much appreciated.

Now, when I started, I wasn't sure how this chapter would end up, but I'm reasonably pleased with the end result. I wanted to have a bit more from Lightning's perspective and I thought it'd be nice to have her deal a little with the fact that Fang gets to her. I also wanted to have some fight scenes where Lightning and Fang got to show their stuff and work together. Plus, having Vanille lob explosives everywhere was something I'd been wanting to do since the last time (which was a fair number of chapters ago, now that I think about it). Incidentally, the entire scene with Lightning and Fang talking downstairs was not something that I'd originally envisioned when I started writing. It sort of just crept up on me when I asked myself: so… Vanille and Quistis are upstairs stealing stuff, what are Lightning and Fang doing? Yet that scene ended up being one of the ones that I liked the most.

And finally… we have Hojo. Anyone who knows anything about FF VII knows that the guy is one evil person, and I've been wanting to bring him in for a couple of chapters but he just didn't fit until now. Heh. Don't worry though, Hojo isn't the only villain we'll be seeing in this story. After all our intrepid cast hasn't dealt with Barthandelus yet, now have they?

On another note, I'll be graduating in about… seven hours. There is a virtual cookie (and maybe even a virtual Mr Snaggles) up for grabs for anyone who can guess what I'm graduating in. Looking back on previous author's notes, there is actually enough that you might be able to guess correctly.

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	24. Chapter 24

**A Price to Pay**

Bart Estheim knew that they were trouble the moment they stepped through the door. There were five of them and they seemed to fill the cosy dining area of the boarding house with a kind of carefully controlled menace. If he had to put money on it, he'd say that they were hired guns of the worst sort, the kind that would do just about anything if the price was right. At least, four of them were. The last man, a smart looking kind of fellow with glasses, looked to but cut of a different cloth. For all that he was of a decent size, this last man had a strange, shuffling kind of walk that made him seem smaller than he really was, but not in a good way. It reminded Bart a bit of the way that rattlesnakes sometimes coiled in on themselves to try and look smaller. But looking smaller didn't make the rattlesnake any less dangerous and he had a feeling it was the same with this man.

"I think we ought to skip out of here," Bart murmured softly as he raised a cup of coffee to his lips to try to hide his nervousness. All around the dining area, others were already doing that, leaving the room as gracefully as they could, all of their eyes averted from the group of men that had taken up a spot at a table right by the door. "This looks like trouble, Nora, the kind we'd best keep out of."

Across the table, Nora nodded slowly. "I think you're right, Bart. They look like their gunning for trouble." She glanced across the table at Hope, who had his back to the group of men. To his credit though, he'd managed to stop himself from simply turning around to stare, but even so, it seemed like he could sense the danger, because he kept fidgeting, his hand going from his coffee to his toast and back again. "Easy, Hope," she said as she reached out to add a little sugar to her coffee. "Just settle down a fraction."

"Right," Hope said as he finally settled on his toast and took a bite. The bread was toasted just right and the butter on it was rich and good, but it tasted like ashes in his mouth. "What now?"

"Just sit tight a little longer," Bart said. "Finish up and then we'll leave, nice and easy. I doubt they're here for us."

Yet as the minutes ticked past, Bart began to feel a cold lead weight form in his gut. The men were clearly there for someone, but they'd yet stop even one person from leaving the room. In fact, they'd not even bothered to give anyone a second glance. Finally, there was no one left in the dining area except for them and the group of men. Heart pounding, Bart slowly pushed to his feet.

"Well," Bart said, "That was a good breakfast. How about we head down to the Eden City Gardens? I hear they're pretty nice this kind of year." Eyes only half on Nora and Hope, he waited with frayed nerves to see what the men would do.

The men stood as one and Bart felt a shiver crawl down his spine as one of them very calmly and very deliberately pushed the edge of his coat back to show the gun that hung at his side. Then, with that same calm look, he met Bart's eyes and the message in them was clear as day: Bart wasn't going anywhere.

"I'm glad you had a decent breakfast, Mr Estheim, but you're not going anywhere." The words came from the smart looking fellow and his voice, despite the fact that it was high-pitched and sort of nasal, was more than threatening enough to freeze Bart in his tracks. "So, you and your family you should just take a seat."

Bart gathered his courage as best he could and straightened his back. He might not be powerfully built, but he wasn't a small man. "Good morning to you all," he said as he moved forward to put himself between the men and his family. As he passed Nora, he met her eyes and nodded once. If this really was trouble, then she needed to be ready to grab Hope and run. He'd have to hold them off, or at least, try to buy them a little time. "Could I ask though, who are you?"

The smart looking fellow smiled thinly and Bart had to stop himself from taking a big step back. It wasn't a nice smile, not even close, and it reminded him a great deal of a snake sizing up its next meal. "The name's Hojo," the man said. "And I'd like to have a word or two with you and your family." He tilted his head to one side. "You know, really, friendly like."

"That so?" Bart knew without a doubt that he and his family were in trouble now, real trouble. He'd heard a thing or two about Hojo and none of it was good. Sure, Hojo might be a smart fellow, real good for a business to have around, but he was nasty to the core and everyone knew it. He had to stall for time, had to try and think of a way out of this. Swallowing thickly, he did his best to keep his voice on the level. "What were you wanting to talk to me about?" Damn it, if only he'd brought his gun. He might not be much good with it, but it'd make him feel a whole lot better knowing that if it came to shooting, he'd at least have a chance, even if it wouldn't be a good chance, not against four hired guns.

Hojo's smile widened and Bart had never thought the flash of clean, white teeth could ever look so cruel or be so terrifying. "Well, the thing is, we had a bit of a problem down at Cocoon this morning and I was thinking that maybe you might be able to help us sort a couple of things out." He paused and his eyes glittered, cold and filled with an evil kind of glee. "So, why don't you and your family come join me at my house, you know, just for a word or two."

In that instant, Bart understood the play. If he and his family went with Hojo now, he'd bet everything he owned that they'd wind up dead or worse. He didn't know a thing about what had happened with Cocoon, but he had a pretty good feeling that wouldn't matter one bit with Hojo. Hojo would ask his question and when Bart couldn't answer them, he'd take things out on Bart and his family. He needed to get Nora and Hope out of here, but there was no way he'd be able to take the four hired guns on his own. His only chance would be to pick a fight and hope that they needed him alive. If they did, then just maybe, he'd be able to buy Nora and Hope enough time to get away. No matter what they did to him, he'd rest easy knowing that his family got away.

"Nora," he whispered, his mind made up and his body tense with fear and awkward courage. "Take Hope and run."

And with that Bart reached for the chair closest to him and flung it at the group of men. The chair caught one of the hired guns and the man stumbled back, a curse on his lips as he reached for his gun, but before he could draw it, Hojo's voice rang out.

"No shooting!" Hojo growled. "We need them alive!" His eyes flashed darkly. "But that's all – feel free to rough them up a little."

Behind him, Bart heard Nora gasp followed shortly by the sound of shoes on wood as she and Hope darted for the back door of the dining area. For a moment, he felt an eerie calm sweep through him. His wife and son were away and the only thing he could do for them now was to buy them time. He just hoped he could buy them enough.

The hired guns came forward together, smooth and easy on their feet, and Bart lunged at the one closest to him. His fist swung out, but the man ducked beneath it and then the air rushed out of Bart's lungs as the hired gun drove one fist into his gut. He dropped to his knees, vision already blurry, before another punch caught him on the side of the head and knocked him to the ground. Still, he wouldn't give up and as the hired guns stepped over him, he reached out and grabbed two of them by the ankles. They tripped and Bart stumbled to his feet and then tackled another one of them to the ground. The two of them rolled over and over across the floor and Bart lashed out wildly. Somewhere along the line, his glasses broke and he cursed as blood from a cut on his brow trickled into his eye and turned the world red.

"He's a tough one," one of the hired guns growled as he grabbed Bart and threw him off into one of the tables.

Bart hit the table with a grunt and tried to find his feet again, but this time, the hired guns weren't taking any chances. The last thing he saw before a boot caught him square in the jaw and knocked him unconscious was the amused smile on Hojo's face. The monster was actually enjoying things.

X X X

"Come on, Hope!" Nora shouted as she pulled her son after her. "We have to go!"

As he followed his mother through the corridors of the boarding house, Hope found that he could barely breathe. He knew, even without the sounds of fists hitting flesh that had followed them out of the dining area, that something bad had happened to his father and he knew that his father had chosen that just so that they might have a chance to get away. If only he wasn't just some stupid kid then maybe he'd have been able to stay with his father and they could've fought together and things would have turned out different. If only he was grown up and strong, like… like Snow or Lightning then maybe he wouldn't be so afraid, maybe he wouldn't be crying so hard it made it almost impossible to see what was in front of him.

Behind them, he could hear the sound of heavy boots and he knew that the hired guns must have finished with his father and were now after them. Up ahead, the door to one of the rooms opened up and he and his mother had to throw themselves to the side to dodge the startled maid that came out with an armful of linen.

"Is everything all right Mrs Estheim?" the maid asked before she was knocked over by one of the hired guns. Linen flew every which way and the big man stumbled and almost fell before he caught himself and took off again, now only a few steps behind Hope and Nora.

Hope chanced a look back at the hired gun only just behind them and then gasped as the man leapt toward him and tackled him to the ground. The impact sent a wave of pain through him and he fought madly to try and get free but the man was just too strong and it wasn't more than a moment or two before he found his face shoved into the floor with his arm pinned behind his back.

"Get off him!" Nora screamed and Hope heard his mother curse – something she'd never done in front of him before – as she grabbed a vase from a table in the corridor and brought it down on the hired gun's head. He gave a sharp cry and tumbled off Hope. Blood poured down his face from a cut in his scalp and as his mother pulled him up to his feet, Hope turned and managed a kick to the jaw that rolled the man's eyes up into the back of his head.

And then they had to run again as another two hired guns rounded the corner of the corridor and saw them. The back door of the boarding house loomed up ahead and Hope prayed for all he was worth that whoever that Hojo fellow was, he hadn't bothered to post some hired guns there as well. Hope and Nora reached the back door and flung it open. Outside was one a grimy, rubbish riddled alley – and there wasn't a hired gun in sight.

"Quickly, Hope," Nora said and Hope could tell that having to run in her heavy skirts had sorely tired her out already. "This way!"

As Hope followed his mother out of the alley, he stopped just long enough to grab a small wooden crate and throw it back at one of the hired guns. The projectile caught the leading man in the legs and he went down in a tangle of limbs. As he regained his feet, Hope saw the fury in his eyes and knew that if he and his mother got caught now, they'd definitely be in for it.

His mother led them out onto one of the main streets and Hope realised what she'd been thinking. Those men might be hired guns, but it would take a lot of guts, and cause a lot more trouble than it was worth, to try and grab two people on a crowded street. The problem was, it was still pretty early, so the street wasn't all that crowded. Worse, as the two men followed them out onto the street, Hope saw that a lot of the people who were there either looked away or just looked on and did nothing. Panic filled him.

"Help!" Nora shouted as the hired guns got ever closer. "Help!"

Not a single person moved to help them and Hope saw the fear crystallise in his mother's eyes, saw the sudden, awful certain dawn that nobody was going to do a thing. Out of breath now and with her skirts too tangled to run, his mother had no choice but to stop. The hired guns closed in, only a few steps away now, and Hope tasted bile as he took in the smug looks on their faces. They'd won and they knew it.

"Run, Hope," Nora said. "Just leave me and go."

Like he'd left his father? Hope shook his head and drew himself up as tall as he could. He might still be a kid and he might be scared witless, but he wasn't about to leave his mother behind.

"You're not touching her!" Hope spat as he stepped forward, a small crowd forming around the disturbance. "So just back off!"

X X X

Snow sighed and ran one hand through his hair. He'd probably get into trouble once he got back to the place where he and the others were holed up, but, honestly, if he'd been cooped up indoors for just one more day, he'd have gone crazy. It wasn't the company he was keeping indoors though. Serah was just plain great to be around, but he'd lived his whole life out on the range and while he enjoyed a nice, soft bed as much as any man, the only way he'd ever feel healthy and whole was with the wide open spaces and clear blue sky of the West around him. Of course, there was also the matter of Fujin…

The silver haired woman seemed pretty decent, and it wasn't like her eye patch put him off or anything, because out on the trail, he'd definitely seen stranger things. No, it was the intensity in Fujin's single crimson eye. Impossible as it seemed, the woman's gaze was even more intense than Lightning's and Snow couldn't shake the feeling that she'd taken his measure and not been particularly impressed. He also had to admit that he found the way she talked just a little off putting. It probably wasn't her fault, and Snow certainly wasn't about to ask her about it, but it could make conversation just a little bit awkward.

At the same time though, Snow was pretty glad to have Fujin around. If trouble came calling – and judging from how things had gone so far, it probably would – Fujin was definitely someone he'd want around. She was good with a gun, although how she managed that with just the one eye, he'd never know. She was also plenty good in a scrap too, and over the past few days he'd asked her a thing or two about the way she fought. Her small size meant she knew all kinds of tricks, tricks that Snow was only too happy to pick up, especially since his big frame meant he'd never had the chance to learn them.

Just that morning, Miss Ashelia and Captain Rosenburg had dropped by early in the morning for some breakfast. Safe in the knowledge that there were plenty of people around in case there was trouble, Snow had seized the chance to get out and about for a bit. The streets of Eden City might not be as wide as the open plains of the West, but they were a bit better than being stuck indoors for another day. Being out and about also gave him the chance to look at a couple of stores. Serah had been looking pretty nervous lately and he figured that he could get her something nice, maybe something to take her mind off how bad things had been lately.

The first thing to catch his eyes had been a beautiful necklace with blue gemstones. It matched Serah's eyes just perfectly and was just the right shade to go with her hair too. Unfortunately, the price on it was a little out of his range – he was a farmer not a mine owner – and so he'd been forced to look for something a little less expensive. Still, he hadn't felt too bad. Serah didn't seem to wear all that much jewellery and he had a feeling that even if he could have gotten it, she wouldn't have worn it too much. After all, jewellery and children didn't mix too well, especially when there were children like Yuffie around who had such quick, sticky fingers.

The next thing to catch his eyes was much better, or at least, he thought so. It was a graceful wide-brimmed hat. It was a pale, almost white, shade of blue and there was a shimmering cerulean ribbon that went right around it and then looped under so that it could be tied beneath the chin to hold the hat on. It was something he could afford and he knew Serah would look good in it. More to the point though, it was something that she might actually use and he felt a smile tug at his lips as he imagined the look on her face when he gave it to her.

However, the smile on his lips faded pretty quickly when he heard some shouting from down the street.

"Help!" He heard and his brows furrowed as he realised that it was a woman shouting and she seemed to be all kinds of scared. "Help!"

Strangely though, no one else seemed to notice the cries and he wondered for a moment if he was just hearing things, but then the cries came again, louder this time, and with even more panic in them.

"Hey." Snow grabbed one of the men walking past by the shoulder. "You hear that?"

The man opened his mouth to snap at Snow, saw how big he was, and then thought better of it. "I guess I do," the man said at last. "But don't pay any attention to it. It's none of our business."

Snow was mighty tempted to lay the fellow out with a punch. What did he mean that it was none of their business? Someone was in trouble and he'd be damned if just walked away without seeing if there was something he could. The way he figured things, a real man didn't just walk away from someone who needed help, not if they wanted to be able to look at themselves in the mirror each morning. Besides, he thought as he made his way quickly down the street and pushed through the small crowd that had gathered around the ruckus, how would he be able to look Serah in the eye if he just walked away?

Once he saw what was happening, Snow felt a wave of anger sweep through him. Two men were beating up on some kid and it was pretty clear they were toying with him, hitting him in the gut a lot and pushing him over, but never doing enough to knock him out. There was a woman there too, probably the kid's mother, and there were tears in her eyes as she tried to get between the men and her kid only to be pushed out of the way. His anger wasn't directed at just the two men, either. There were plenty of people in the crowd here and while most of them looked horrified, not a one of them was doing a damn thing to help. Well, enough of that. If nobody wanted to do anything about this, he damn well would.

But as he stepped forward to break things up, the kid took another punch to the gut and folded again, but this time he was turned just right so that Snow could see his face. It was Hope. Anger turned into white-hot fury and Snow shoved everything that Captain Rosenburg, Lightning, and Quistis had told him about laying low out of his mind. He remembered Hope pretty well from that fight back at the bar, and even if the kid had blamed the whole thing on him, it was clear to Snow that Hope was a good kid, a little young, but with the makings of a decent man. Lips drawn back into a snarl, he stepped into the fray and put himself in front of Hope.

"That's about enough," Snow growled as the two men backed up, wary and perhaps a little afraid.

Hope staggered back to his feet and looked up at Snow through eyes almost swollen shut. "Snow?"

Snow smiled softly and took Hope by the arm. "Yeah, kid, it's me." Hope swayed on his feet and Snow caught him just as his eyes slipped shut. "Are you his mother?" Snow asked as he lifted Hope and gently carried her over to Nora. "Well, you take right good care of him. He might not be a man in body yet, but he's got a heart big enough for ten." He turned back to the two men and his eyes were colder than the winters way up north. "I'll sort these two out."

If the two men were smart, they'd have run while Snow had his back turned, but they'd stayed and now Snow was going to give them a little taste of their own medicine. Eyes awash with contempt, he stepped forward. "You know, it doesn't take much guts to beat up a kid and you're lucky he's not full grown or I'd bet everything I own, you'd never have lasted five minutes against him." He lifted one big fist. "But how about you try your luck against a man this time and see how well you fare?"

The two men hesitated, unsure, and Snow felt a savage stab of satisfaction. He was bigger than most people, always had been, but he'd never used his size just to bully people around. But these two had beaten up Hope, had taken a fair bit of pleasure in it too, by the looks of things, so Snow didn't feel the least bit bad about putting a bit of fear into them. He had a feeling too, that if it weren't for the crowd gathered around, they'd have chosen to back off, but they couldn't leave now, not without crawling away with their tails between their legs. So instead, they did the only thing they could, they charged him.

Snow didn't bother to try and dodge, he just met them head on. The first man threw a looping punch as the second dove at Snow's legs to try and bring him down. Snow caught the first man's punch with his forearm and lifted one knee to catch the second man right on the point of the jaw. Not surprisingly, the second man went down, and Snow growled as he grabbed the first man by the shirt and swung him about like a ragdoll. The man let out a shrill, terrified wail, which was cut off when Snow hurled him to the ground. The man gave a low groan, tried to rise and then fell back and was still. His anger only slightly sated, Snow was careful to put a smile on his face as he turned back to Hope's mother.

"The name's Snow," he said. "And you must be Hope's mother?"

The woman nodded shakily and only reluctantly handed Hope over to Snow who lifted the unconscious boy as gently as he could. "I'm Nora… I…"

Snow smiled, soft and gentle. "Look, Nora, I figure you've got a story to tell, and you look like you're almost out on your feet." He started to clear a path for them through the crowd that had only just begun to disperse. "How about I take you some place you can get cleaned up and we can get Hope looked after. Then, maybe, you can tell me what this is all about."

Nora nodded and Snow could only hope that Lightning wouldn't strangle him too much for bringing more trouble around.

X X X

Hope came to with a start. The last thing he remembered, he'd been fighting and losing pretty badly too and then… then Snow had been there and… and…

His mother!

Hope shot to his feet, or at least, he tried to. However, the pain in his gut was something awful and it took everything he had not to double over and empty his stomach. His head wasn't feeling much better either and he knew, even without the aid of a mirror, that he probably looked a lot like a raccoon, to say nothing of his busted lip. In the few minutes it took for him to get enough strength to stand, he took in his surroundings. Wherever he was, it was pretty nice. The bed under him was soft and the sheets were smooth and everything around him, from the furniture to the curtains on the window looked to be worth a fair bit of money. Snow must have taken him and his mother some place, but that didn't make much sense. Snow was a stockman, wasn't he, so how would he pay for a place like this?

When he finally had the strength to stand, Hope slowly got to his feet. He had to take a moment to steady himself and even then, he couldn't do much more than hobble toward the door. Outside the room, he found himself in the middle of a corridor and he looked both ways before deciding to make his way toward the stairs. There were voices coming from downstairs, some of them familiar, and he figured that the most important thing for now was to find out what had happened. As he walked, he felt some of his strength return, so that by the time he reached the stairs, he was moving at a slow walk instead of a hobble.

He made it halfway down the stairs before someone noticed him.

"Hope."

He blinked and it took him a second to realise that it was Lightning – Lightning of all people – looking at him. Her blue eyes were softer than he'd ever seen them and before he knew it, she was by his side and helping him down the stairs. Part of him wanted to shrug her off, he did have his pride, after all, but mostly he was glad to have someone he knew and trusted by his side, someone who could, just maybe, get his family out of the fix they were in. At the bottom of the stairs, he stopped and stared at the people gathered around the big table that dominated the room.

Snow was there and as the big man nodded at him, Hope was taken aback by the respect he saw in Snow's eyes. Beside Snow was Serah, and the younger of the Farron sister's had only sympathy in her gaze and Hope had a feeling that if she had the chance, Serah would be fussing over him something fierce. His mother was there too, and Hope could scarcely contain the deep sigh of relief that swept through him when he saw that she was okay. Apart from them though, Hope didn't recognise any of the other people at the table. There was a woman with blonde hair and glasses there, along with a silver haired woman who wore an eye patch over one eye. The last two people were a blonde man who had a scar over his brow and a young woman with blonde hair that reached just shy of her shoulders.

"Have a seat, Hope," Lightning said as she eased him into one of the chairs by the table. "Your mother was just telling us about your run in with a few… interesting folks." She paused and Hope saw something dark flash for a moment in her eyes. "She mentioned a man called Hojo."

Hope nodded. He'd never forget that name, not as long as he lived. "That's right…" Throat suddenly dry, he was inordinately grateful when Serah pushed a glass of water over to him. "There were some men who came around during breakfast. They… they were after us and father did his best to hold them off but…" He swallowed thickly. He could still hear the sounds of fists and boots digging into flesh as he and his mother fled the room. "Father tried to fight them so that mother and I could get away, but they must have… must have been too strong for him, because they came after us and… and we tried to run but they caught us and then…" He bit his lip so hard that he could taste blood. "I wasn't strong enough… and they were going to get us but then Snow showed up and…"

"It's okay," Lightning said. "It's okay."

Hope nodded slowly as his mother reached over and pulled him into a hug. He might look like a kid right now, but he couldn't find it in him to care.

"You act like you know this Hojo," Nora said, eyes suddenly fierce. "What can you tell us about him, and why are you here, of all places?"

Lightning nodded. "I think Quistis here can probably answer those questions better."

Hope looked up as the woman with glasses cleared her throat and began to speak. "My name, Hope, Nora, is Quistis Trepe. I'm a marshal." She paused and let the information sink in. "Now, I'm not sure how much you two know about the way that marshals operate, but some of us tend to specialise. As for me, I'm probably best known for going after people and companies with lots of money who think their wealth or influence puts them above the law." She looked over at the silver haired woman. "She's Fujin, my partner. Anyway, a while back Lightning here stumbled upon some pretty interesting information that led us to believe that Cocoon's been hiding money, lots of it, for quite a while. Now, that might not sound like a big deal, but it is, and if we were in any doubt, Cocoon got rid of that went it sent a stack of hired guns after us in Bodhum." Hope and Nora gasped and Quistis sighed. "After that, we thought it would be best to disappear for a while, see if we could find something that could get Cocoon off our backs and put them away for good. That's why we're here in Eden City." She paused again and seemed to weigh up how best to put things. "We've… we've been working with a few people who've also got an interest in Cocoon. We also know someone inside Cocoon who has been helping us out. He's the one who warned us about Hojo."

"So, this Hojo works for Cocoon?" Nora asked. "But that doesn't explain why they'd be interested in us."

Lightning shifted a fraction and Hope got the feeling that he wouldn't like what he was about to hear. "Last night, we broke into Cocoon along with a couple of the people we're working with." She paused and closed her eyes. "The people working with us mentioned they'd found a way into Cocoon earlier. At the time… at the time I didn't think too much of how they'd managed that, but if I had to guess… I'd say they probably used you to do it."

"What?" Hope murmured. "I don't… I don't understand."

Lightning's voice was oddly gentle as she spoke. "Hope, your mother told us about Fran and Penelo."

It took a moment for Hope to understand what Lightning meant and then it hit him, hit like a kick in the guts. Penelo and Fran… they'd seemed so nice and friendly and they'd looked pretty interested in Cocoon and… and… they'd been using him, using him and his family. Bitterness welled up from deep inside him and the ringing in his ears became a roar as he clenched his jaw so hard it hurt.

"Hope!" Lightning said and he realised that everyone was looking at him in concern. "Hope," she said, more gently this time, "We know about your father, okay. We're going to get him back, I promise you." She looked over at Nora. "We'll be meeting up with the people we work with tonight and we'll work something out."

Hope ignored the pain in his body and drove to his feet. "Are they going to be there?" he growled. "Are Fran and Penelo going to be there?"

"Hope…" Serah murmured.

"It's their fault!" Hope shouted. Dimly, he was aware of the look of alarm on his mother's face but he was too angry now to care. "It's all their fault that Hojo came after us! You weren't there this morning. We were running away and I could hear them – I could hear them hitting my father!" He stared across the table at Lightning. "I want to go with you so that I can look them in the eye and tell them what they've done!"

Lightning said nothing for a long, long time and then she nodded. "All right, Hope." The others looked horrified, but Lightning ignored them. "You'll get your chance to tell them what you want, Hope, but you do as I say, when I say it." Her gaze turned gentle. "This isn't the kind of business you should be mixed up in, Hope, and I'm just trying to look out for you."

"Thank you," Hope said as he slumped back into his chair. "Thank you."

X X X

Fang's lips curved into a smirk as she caught sight of Lightning. In the poorly lit, dingy saloon, the sheriff's pink hair and bright blue eyes stood out like a diamond in the rough. However, the teasing comment at the tip of her tongue died the moment she caught sight of who was behind the sheriff.

"This here," Lightning said as she led the boy over to their table. "Is Hope Estheim."

As the words left Lightning's mouth, Fang knew with cold, awful certainty what had happened. Cocoon must have traced things back, must have gone looking for the connection between her and Vanille and the attack last night. Well, Cocoon might not have found her or Vanille, but they'd certainly found the Estheims.

The boy, Hope, had the look of someone who'd been badly beaten, but his eyes had murder in them and frankly, Fang couldn't blame him. There was a price for everything, and it had been Hope and his family who'd been made to pay, not her, and that somehow hurt worse than any wound she'd ever gotten.

"Have a seat," Fang said softly. "And tell me what happened."

By the end of it, Vanille looked like she was about to cry and the red head literally flinched away every time that Hope looked at her. Fang bit her lip. The Estheims were good, decent folk and they'd been dragged into things because of her and Vanille. Using them had been the only way to get into Cocoon, but she'd never thought it would turn out this badly. Still, a cold, cruel voice in her mind whispered, even if she had known that things would end up like this, would she really have done anything different? To her shame, Fang wasn't sure.

"Reeve," she murmured as she turned to face the man who'd gone deathly pale, even as the cat in his lap purred and snuggled closer. "Does Hojo have Bart?"

"I can't say for sure," Reeve replied. "The word is that he does, but you've got to understand, even I don't know that much about what Hojo gets up to." He shuddered. "Not that I'd want to."

Lightning frowned. "I told Hope that we're going to get his father back and I meant it. We are not leaving Bart with Hojo."

Reeve grimaced. "Look, I understand that this Bart fellow is your friend and everything, but Hojo is a monster. There's been all kinds of talk about how lots of people go into that house of his and never come back out. He has to know that you're coming and that means he'll set a trap for you, the kind you won't even see until it's too late."

Fang looked back at Hope. The boy's hands were clenched and he was standing ramrod straight.

"I hate you," Hope whispered, his eyes on Fang and Vanille, the words all the more awful for how quietly they were spoken. "It's all your fault that Hojo's got my father and you don't even care, do you?" He slammed his fists into the table. "You two are just stupid, no good criminals and we trusted you! We trusted you and look where it got us!" Tears poured down his cheeks. "Lightning should just shoot you both and damn it, if I had a gun, I'd shoot you myself!"

Fang felt her gut clench. A kid like Hope should never have a look like that in his eyes. "If you're going to hate anyone, Hope, you should hate me, it was my idea." Out of the corner of her eye, Fang saw Vanille open her mouth but she just shook her head. If Hope had to hate someone, let it be her. "But I'm telling you that I had my reasons, good reasons. Somehow though, I don't think you want to hear them, and that's fine. Hojo's got your father and that means that whatever my reasons might be, they're not going to be close to good enough for you." She met Hope's gaze squarely. "But I'm telling you, right now, that I'm going to see to it that you get your father back."

"Why should I believe you?" Hope growled. "You've lied about everything else so far."

Fang smiled sadly and drew her gun. Hope flinched, but held his ground. However, his wariness turned to confusion as she turned the gun around and put it in his hands. When he made no move to hold it properly, Fang positioned his hands for him and then raised it so that it was level with her heart. "You're right, Hope, I've lied to you about everything so far and I have done wrong by you and your family, but I'm telling you now that I'm not lying about getting your father back." She reached over and eased the hammer of the pistol back. "Look into my eyes, Hope, and judge for yourself. If you think I'm lying, then you pull that trigger – you've certainly got the right."

For a long, long moment, Hope's said nothing, his eyes locked on hers. Finally, he nodded and Lightning took the gun from him. "All right," he said softly. "I believe you, but if you're lying, if you don't get my father back, then I swear, no matter how far you run, or how long it takes, I'll find you and I'll make you sorry."

Fang nodded. "That's fair enough, Hope." She took her gun back from Lightning. "And for both our sakes I'll make sure to get your father back. A boy shouldn't have to say things like that and mean them." She turned and pinned Reeve with a look. "Now, Reeve, tell us everything you know about Hojo and where he might be keeping Bart."

X X X

**Author's Notes**

As always, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor do I make any money off this.

This chapter was an interesting one to write. It's pretty much devoid of the humour that's present in a lot of the other chapters, but I think that's a necessary concession to the subject matter. At the same time though, I like the grittiness in this chapter. After all, the West wasn't all sunshine and lollipops. There was danger there and all too often the innocent got dragged into it, just like Hope and his family.

I was also glad to have the chance to write a few of the other characters. For instance, this is the first we've heard from Snow for a while, and the same goes for Bart and Hope. Of course, there have been good reasons for Lightning and Fang dominating the tale (e.g., Snow wasn't part of the raid on Cocoon, so he couldn't exactly have had that much to say during the chapter where that occurs), but it is nice to get back to some of the other characters.

As an aside, this chapter also features a reversal of events from FF XIII, in that it is Snow who saves Hope and Nora. Indeed, rather than holding Snow responsible for a lot of his misfortune, it is Fang and Vanille (Fang especially) that Hope holds responsible for what has happened. How this works out, however, is something to be addressed in later chapters.

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	25. Chapter 25

**The Wrong Kind of Nostalgia**

Quistis had long since learned to listen to her gut. It had kept her alive through all kinds of trouble and right now it was telling her to turn right back around and leave. It was one thing to break into a place like Cocoon, quite another to go gunning for a fellow like Hojo. Not only did he know they were coming, but from what Reeve had told them, his house was more like a fortress than a house, with enough hired guns to make any kind of frontal attack just about suicide.

So, of course, that was exactly what they were about to do.

It wasn't like they'd had much choice though. None of them wanted to leave Bart with Hojo any longer than they had to, so after talking to Reeve about things, they'd doubled back to drop Hope off with his Snow, Serah, and Nora. At the same time, they'd grabbed Fujin and as many weapons as they could carry and then headed over toward Hojo's place. Snow had wanted to come too, but Lightning had been pretty clear about him staying. Snow wasn't a killer, not really, and Quistis had a feeling that getting Bart back would require a pretty decent amount of killing. Besides, he seemed to get along with Hope pretty decently and him being around seemed to ease Nora's nerves, if only a little.

Without much time to get a plan together, they'd decided to do things the simple way. Lightning and Fang were the best of them at sneaking around, which meant that they'd be the ones to try and creep into Hojo's house and find Bart. But even those two would find that a pretty tall task with all the hired guns wandering around. That was why Quistis, Fujin, and Vanille were going to go and make some noise, see if they couldn't draw a bit of attention to make things a little easier for Lightning and Fang. After that – and assuming that they didn't end up riddled with bullets – they'd do their best to meet up with Lightning and Fang inside Hojo's house.

"You know," Vanille said, "We should probably get started."

Quistis slanted the red head a dry look. She didn't like the huge grin plastered on Vanille's face one bit, especially when she knew just how many guns and explosives the shorter woman was carrying. "I think you're enjoying this just a little too much."

Vanille grinned and slung her shotgun over her shoulder. "I figure you're probably right, but, you know, it's one thing to go around robbing banks and all that, quite another to actually be saving someone." Her expression turned sober. "Besides, Fang and I owe Bart, we can't just walk away from this." Her grin returned. "So, I might as well enjoy myself, don't you think, marshal?"

Quistis chuckled softly. "I suppose you're right." She looked across the road and her mirth faded. Hojo's house was big all right, more of a manor, really, and surrounded by a great big brick wall. Right in front of them though, was the gate, a huge metal thing with a guardhouse on either side of it and at least a dozen hired guns. "You ready Fujin?"

The other marshal smirked, her single crimson eye shimmering darkly in the moonlight. "READY."

"Good." Quistis drew a pair of pistols and strode across the street. "Let's go make some noise then."

The guards at the front gate stopped and stared the moment that the three of them came into sight and Quistis let a smirk play across her lips. They must have made quite a sight: three women armed to the teeth, one of them with an eye patch, another with glasses, and the last with one heck of a crazy smile on her face.

"Evening," Quistis said as she levelled her pistols at the closest pair of hired guns. "I don't suppose you'll us through, will you?"

A mix of disbelief and startled anger flashed across the hired guns' faces, but whatever they might have said was drowned out by the roar of both pistols as Quistis fired. The hired guns reeled back, both of them dead with their hands not even halfway to their holsters, and suddenly the night was alive with the thunder of gunfire as half the hired guns scrambled for cover and the other half opened fire.

"Take them down!" one of the hired guns screamed. "Don't let them through!"

Quistis felt a bullet shoot past her cheek and threw herself behind one of the trees that lined the sidewalk. It wasn't nearly wide enough for her taste, but it was better than nothing. A quick glance to either side told her that both Vanille and Fujin had found cover too, Fujin behind another tree and Vanille behind what looked to be a metal bench.

"Well?" Vanille shouted as she lifted her shotgun up and took aim. "What are you two waiting for? Weren't we supposed to make some noise?"

And with that the red head fired. The shotgun howled and first one hired gun and then another flew back as she gave them both barrels. The second hired gun crashed through the window of one of the guardhouses and shards of glass went every which way as the hired guns inside scrambled to get clear.

"Vanille," Quistis shouted as she pushed out from behind her tree and nodded at Fujin. "Blow the gate. Fujin and I will cover you!"

As the red head got one of her explosives ready, Quistis turned her attention back to the hired guns. There were a lot of them now, and more would be coming every minute. They needed to do something to thin their numbers a bit and draw their attention away from Vanille, as well. With a grim smile, she ran forward, firing as she went. One shot caught a hired gun in the leg and hobbled him, another nicked a hired gun in the cheek, and still another hit a hired gun square in the forehead and put him down.

"Come on, Fujin," Quistis muttered as she jerked away from a bullet. "What are you waiting for? Do something."

Bang.

One of the hired guns jerked back, a great red rose blooming across his chest just as he drew a bead on Quistis.

Bang.

Another hired gun halted, stopped in the very act of firing, a shot drilled right through his eye.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

With each shot, another hired gun fell and Quistis whipped a hasty look back to see that Fujin had abandoned any semblance of cover. Instead, the silver haired woman stood out in the open, her feet apart and her single eye narrowed in concentration. A rifle was pressed flush against her shoulder and there was a look of eerie calm on Fujin's face as she lined up another shot, each movement as easy and natural as could be, before she fired and stopped another hired gun in his tracks.

"Move!" Vanille cried as she lobbed something through the air. "Get out of the way, Quistis!"

Quistis didn't need to be told twice. Running like every nightmare she'd ever had was on her tail, she darted back for cover. There was a moment's pause as the explosive landed at the base of the heavy metal gate before a deep, earth-shaking boom rattled the street. A second later, bits of mangled metal and charred brick began to rain down and Quistis poked her head out from behind some cover just in time to see some of the hired guns stagger away from the ruined gate, clearly disoriented.

"NOW!" Fujin said. "GO HOUSE!"

Quistis nodded and got to her feet, Vanille only half a step behind her. The three of them charged through the remains of the gate, firing at any of the hired guns still alive. But more hired guns had begun to pour down toward them from the house, maybe more than even they could handle.

"I sure hope Lightning and Fang appreciate this," Quistis muttered. "Because, this is starting to get tricky."

As bullets bit into the ground all around them, Vanille laughed. "Starting to get tricky? Way I see it, it's been tricky since we started." She fired back at the closest clump of hired guns and managed to drop a couple. "Still, it makes you feel alive, don't you think?"

Rather than reply, Quistis instead chose to scan the path up ahead for anything they could use as cover. They were a little too exposed on the path and although they'd managed to run along it so far without getting hit, it wouldn't be too long before something went wrong or one of the hired guns got lucky. "There." She pointed to a guardhouse that occupied a spot about halfway between them and the house. "We can use that for cover."

Vanille chuckled. "It looks pretty good, marshal. There's just one problem… it's kind of occupied." As if to prove Vanille's point, the windows of the guardhouse were suddenly filled with guns. A bullet cut the air over Vanille's head. "Still, it's probably better than out here."

"Cover me!" Quistis shouted. "I'll try to bust us in."

As Quistis began a mad sprint toward the guardhouse, Vanille and Fujin poured gunfire into it. Most of the shots didn't hit, but it hardly mattered. The point was, they managed to force the hired guns inside away from the windows and that would give Quistis at least a fighting chance of taking the place by storm.

Quistis dragged in a deep breath as she closed the gap between her and the guardhouse. There probably wasn't much point in even trying the door – if the hired guns had any sense, they'd make sure it was locked – which left her with just the windows for an entrance. With a growl, she threw herself through the nearest window. The hired guns inside looked at her for a second before they scrambled to get rid of her. One of them fired, but she jerked out of the way and she heard a strangled curse as the bullet hit one of the other hired guns. A savage smile crossed her face. In the crowded quarters of the guardhouse, they'd be hard pressed to fire without hitting each other. She, on the other hand, had no such problems.

Guns blazing, she fired on all sides, scarcely able to see as a stray shot took out a lamp and cast the whole place into near darkness. Her guns soon clicked empty and she grimaced. There was no time to reload, so rather than try she instead switched her grip on them to hold them by the barrels. Then she threw herself back into the fray, a single woman pressing the hired guns back, as she lashed out with the pistols. She whipped one across the face of a hired gun and he stumbled back, nose broken, a second lunged and she caved his cheek in. But a third snuck up on her and she felt pain explode as he drove the butt of his shotgun into the back of her head. For a moment, she reeled, barely able to see or think through the pain, and then she heard a vicious growl as first Vanille and then Fujin leapt through the windows.

From there everything seemed to happen in a blur, each moment punctuated by the flash and roar of Vanille's shotgun. It seemed crazy to use a weapon like that in a place so cramped, but Vanille made it work, and the whole place shook each time the gun fired. But it was Fujin who caught Qusitis' eye and held it. Quistis had always known that the other woman could fight, really fight, with just her hands and feet, but she'd never thought she could look so beautiful doing it.

Fujin threw her rifle at the man closest to her and he caught it out of reflex. Before he could even realise the mistake he'd made though, Fujin hit him with a kick so hard Quistis could have sworn she heard the man's ribs break as the blow landed. Another man charged and Quistis tried to shout a warning, but Fujin was already in motion. She ducked beneath the hired gun's haymaker of a punch and turned to fling him over her shoulder. He slammed into a small table and the thing broke beneath his weight. A third rushed Fujin from behind, but she didn't even bother to turn. Instead, she just twisted slightly and thrust her elbow back and the man reeled away, his nose broken and barely conscious. A second later, he was unconscious as Fujin turned and landed a punch square on the point of his chin. By now, there was only one more hired gun still alive or conscious in the place and he drew a knife from his boot and leapt at Fujin. The silver haired woman simply eased to the side and the knife went wide. Before the hired gun could bring the knife around for a second attack, Fujin caught his wrist and twisted it sharply to one side. The knife dropped free of his suddenly slack fingers and Fujin caught it and flung it contemptuously away. The hired gun backed away now, fear in his eyes, and Vanille slammed the butt of her shotgun over his neck.

"OKAY?" Fujin asked as she reached down to help Quistis to her feet. "QUISTIS OKAY?"

Quistis winced. The pain in her head had faded to a dull ache and although she knew she'd really be feeling it tomorrow, there didn't seem to be any blood, and she seemed to be able to walk all right. "I'm fine," she said. "Just stunned, is all."

Fujin's lips curved into a wry smile. "I NEW. YOU NOT. YOU SUPPOSED LOOK AFTER ME."

Quistis chuckled. Although a little blunt, it was hard to take offence at Fujin's words when there was such warmth shining through at her from that single eye. "I suppose you're right about that."

"Ahem." Vanille coughed and pointed out one of the windows. "Now, I know you're probably still a little groggy and all Quistis, but there are a whole lot more hired guns headed this way." She reached into her coat for a pair of explosives. "Now, do I have to explain how these work to you two?"

Quistis looked down at the explosive in her hand. One of these days, she was going to have to ask Vanille how to make them. If nothing else, they'd give her a pretty interesting way of dealing with her paperwork when it got to be too much to handle. "No, I figure I know what to do." She glanced over at Fujin. "You?"

Fujin just smirked and looked out of the window at the approaching hired guns. "BOOM."

X X X

Fang glanced off toward the sound of the gunfire and frowned. By the sound of things, there was one hell of a fight going on down there and while she knew that Vanille could look after herself and that Quistis and Fujin were as tough as they came, she couldn't help but wish she was down there too. Still, she thought as a trio of explosions rocked the night, those three definitely knew how to make some noise. She and Lightning were almost to the house and they'd yet to encounter any hired guns, although she wasn't crazy enough to think their luck would hold for much longer.

"Come on, Fang," Lightning whispered. "We need to hurry. Those three might be able to distract them for a while, but sooner or later the local lawmen are going to show up and that's not trouble we want to face."

Fang nodded. The local lawmen might not be too much of a threat, but there would likely be a lot of them, too many maybe, for them to handle on top of everything else. "All right then, let's keeping going."

The two of them made their way over to the back of Hojo's house and Fang took a quick look around to make sure it was clear. Sure enough, there was no one there. As quickly as she could, Fang got one of the windows unlocked and the two climbed through to find themselves in some kind of sitting room. Although Reeve didn't know just where Bart was being kept, it didn't take a genius to know that Hojo wouldn't risk keeping him somewhere easy to get to. That left Fang and Lightning in a bit of a quandary. They could either search the whole place, which wasn't likely to turn out too well, or they could find someone who knew a thing or two.

"Stay here," Fang said. "I'm going to grab us an informer."

Fang tiptoed over to the door of the sitting room and eased it open a fraction. It wasn't long before a group of hired guns ran past, probably to go help out with Vanille and the others. She waited until the last of them was level with the door, before she reached out and grabbed him. He tried to yell, but she had her hand over his mouth before he could make a sound. Pressing her gun up against his temple, she led him back into the sitting room.

"I've got a couple of questions for you," Fang drawled as she stepped away, her gun trained on him the entire time. "If you happen to enjoy living, I suggest you answer to the best of your ability."

The hired gun looked from her to Lightning with wide eyes and then shook his head. "You can't make me talk."

Lightning scowled and levelled her own gun at the hired gun's head. "And how do you figure that?"

The man grinned viciously. "You're looking for that Bart fellow, aren't you? Well, you can't kill me, can you? Otherwise you'll never find him."

Fang glanced over at Lightning and the sheriff rolled her eyes. The hired gun was all kinds of stupid admitting that he knew something about Bart. "So, you do know something about Bart." She smiled sunnily and then slowly, deliberately, lowered her aim from his head to his crotch. "Maybe we can't kill you, but we can sure as hell make the rest of your life nasty." Her eyes twinkled. "I wonder if you'll still be able to go standing up after I shoot you down there. What do you think, Lightning?"

Lightning shrugged. "I don't know. Why don't we find out?" She lowered her gun too.

"Okay!" the man cried, panic in his voice as he held up both hands. "I'll tell you what you want to know." He grimaced. "Damn it… I don't mind getting shot in the arm or something but…"

Fang eased the hammer of her pistol back. "Stop worrying about yourself for a moment and focus. We're looking for Bart. Where is he? Tell us and you should be able to get out of this okay."

The hired gun gulped. "He's where Hojo always keeps his prisoners – down in the dungeon… Cell 20, I think."

"Dungeon?" Fang didn't like the sound of that one bit. "What do you mean, dungeon?"

"That's what it is!" the man wailed as Fang's eyes flashed dangerously. "It's a dungeon damn it, so that's what we call it."

"Never mind that," Fang said. "Where is it? How do we get there?"

The man paled. "It's hidden… there are stairs in the dining room behind the tapestry, you can't miss it." He looked up at Fang. "There… I told you what you want, don't shoot me."

Fang made a disgusted sound. "Don't worry, you're not worth the bullets, now tell us how to get to the dining room." Once he'd finished talking she slapped her gun across his head. The hired gun fell to the ground, out cold and Fang turned to Lightning. "You heard the fellow, sunshine. Let's go find that dungeon."

The two of them headed for the dining room. Along the way, they ducked in and out of rooms whenever a bunch of hired guns got too close and they managed to make it almost halfway there before they got spotted. Before they could take the hired gun out though, he doubled back the way he came, no doubt to get reinforcements.

That was why, when nobody came after them, they began to get nervous, especially when they got to the last corridor between them and the dining room.

"This looks a lot like a trap, doesn't it, sunshine," Fang said as she eyed the corridor. It was a long one, with a whole lot of doors branching off it and despite the ruckus going on outside, there wasn't a sound to be heard inside. "I'd bet everything I own that they've got this place staked out as a trap for us."

Lightning nodded slowly. "I think so too, but this looks like the only way to the dining room."

Fang grinned. "In that case, let's not keep them waiting." She slanted Lightning a serious look. "Watch yourself, sheriff." 

Lightning smiled thinly. "Likewise, bandit."

Each step down the corridor was filled with tension and Fang could feel her hand twitching. There were hired guns about, she just knew it, the only question was: what were they waiting for? She got her answer a moment later. As she and Lightning reached the middle of the corridor, one of the doors in front of them burst open.

A hired gun appeared in the open doorway and Fang was just fast enough to drop him before he got his shot off. But even as he fell another door in front of them opened and Fang was forced to fire again, her attention diverted just enough that she never noticed a door behind them open.

Luckily, Lightning did.

Lightning's gun roared and Fang spun around to see a hired gun clutch at the doorframe before his strength failed him and he toppled to the ground.

"Hey, sunshine," Fang murmured as she backed up until she and Lightning were pressed back to back. "How much do you want to bet that there are hired guns behind all of these doors?"

Even if she couldn't see it, Fang could hear the cold smile in Lightning's voice. "I don't see the point in betting on a sure thing." Lightning tilted her head a fraction and for a split-second cerulean met emerald. "Just worry about the ones in front, I'll get the ones behind, and so help me, if you miss any and I get hit, I'll shoot you myself."

Fang chuckled. "Same to you, sunshine, same to you."

And then they didn't have any more time to talk or even think as the doors on either side of the corridor, in front and behind, began to burst open. Gunfire filled the narrow space and the two of burst into motion together. A bullet zipped past Fang and the bandit heard Lightning curse before she fired twice, each shot followed a second later by the thud of a body as it hit the ground. Likewise, Fang had her own work cut out for her as her gun leapt from target to target, every iota of her being focused on the task in front of her, almost painfully aware that any mistake she made could very easily cost not only her own life, but Lightning's, as well. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the hired guns stopped coming and both she and Lightning breathed a sigh of relief as they stopped to reload and then walked into the dining room.

It was a pretty nice set up, with a big oak table and what looked to be a pretty decent dinner laid out. However, they had eyes only for the large tapestry on one of the walls and when they jerked it out of the way, there was a door there, a door that opened onto some stairs that led underground.

"Aw, hell," Fang muttered, "If that corridor was bad, this has got to be at least ten times worse. Just what is this?"

Lightning glanced down the stairs and winced. It didn't take much looking to know that the stairs were just ripe for an ambush. More than that though, the look of the stairs took her back a few years, back to one of the worst cases she'd ever worked. "I saw something like this once," she murmured. "Amodar and I were going after some slave traders and we stumbled across a place like this. They had stairs leading underground to where they kept the slaves… it wasn't pleasant down there, if you catch my meaning."

Fang scowled. Slave traders were some of the worst people that Fang had ever met and if she never met another one, she'd be just fine with that. "Yeah, sunshine, I catch your meaning." She took a step down the stairs. "Let's get this over with and who knows, maybe it won't be that bad."

She was dead wrong. 

The stairs didn't lead down to a basement. No, they went down much further than that, down right into the very bowels of the earth. With each step they took, Fang felt the unease inside her grow until it took everything she had not to just turn tail and run. There was something wrong about this place, and not just because no one had come to stop them, but because there was something off, something that didn't fit. This far underground, the air was supposed to smell stale, to be a little musty, instead there was another smell, one it took her a good long while to place. It was the smell of blood, old blood, the scent of fear and horror.

The stairs came to an abrupt end and they found themselves in a large hall paved with what looked to be cobblestones. Water trickled down the walls and Fang couldn't stop a shiver from running through her. What kind of place was this? Uneasy right down to her boots, she glanced around more closely. There were doors branching off the main hall and they were numbered – they must be the cells that the hired gun had mentioned. There was also balcony around the whole place too, which meant there was probably another way in.

"Where are the guards?" Lightning asked. "Why aren't there any guards?"

Fang eyed the shadows more closely. With the whole place lit by just a couple of lamps, there were plenty of places to hide. "I don't know, sunshine." She glanced at the cells and shivered. "But how about we get Bart and get out of here, the quicker the better."

"Fine," Lightning replied. "Let's go. It was Cell 20, wasn't it?"

As they walked over to Cell 20, Fang chanced a quick look inside one of the other cells. She wished she hadn't. There was a man in there, or at least, what had once been a man. He was chained to one of the walls by his wrists and his body was one big mess of blood and broken flesh. His face was little better, a thin mop of scraggly hair covering a face so bruised and battered it was barely recognisable.

"This isn't right," Fang whispered. "This isn't right at all." Just what had Hojo done to the poor fellow, and how long had he been down here?

Lightning came up behind her and Fang felt the other woman tense for a moment, before the sheriff drove one booted heel into the door with enough force to almost knock it off its hinges. The pink haired woman knelt by the fallen man for a moment and then shook her head. "He's dead, Fang, probably has been for at least a day now."

"I know we have to get Bart," Fang said thickly, "But we need to check the other cells. We can't leave anyone down here."

Lightning nodded. "Right."

It took them about five minutes to check the other cells. Most of the others were empty and those that weren't held only the dead. Hojo, it seemed, didn't seem to care too much for leaving people alive once he'd finished with them. With heavy hearts, they made their way over to the last cell in the hall, Cell 20.

With a growl, Fang kicked the door of the cell open and she felt a wave of guilt and horror sweep over her at what she saw. She hadn't known the other people they'd found, but she knew Bart, and that made things a hundred times worse. The man's glasses were gone and his face was one big bruise and there were cuts above and below both eyes. His body was a mess too, with bruises and gashes all over. These weren't the kind of injuries a man got being interrogated, these were the kinds of injuries a man got when someone beat the hell out of them for fun, and not just once either, but a lot of times. As she and Lightning drew closer, Bart gave a twitch and then tried to scramble away from them.

"Easy, Bart," Lightning said as she knelt by the man's side, her voice so soft that it nearly made Fang cry. "It's me, it's Lightning. I'm going to get you out of here and get you fixed up."

Bart forced one eye open and somehow managed to get the words out. "Sheriff?" The haziness in his gaze made Fang want to retch – it looked a lot like they'd drugged him too. "Is that really you?"

"It sure is," Lightning said as she hooked one arm around him. "Now, I need you to try and stand. Can you do that for me, Bart?" She glanced at Fang and then at Bart's other arm.

"I couldn't tell them anything…" Bart mumbled as Fang took his other arm and helped him stand. "I didn't know anything… but that didn't seem to matter… that Hojo… that… that…"

"That's enough," Fang said, her voice thick. "Just… just take it easy, Bart."

"Fran?" Bart said, eyes still glazed. "What are you doing here? You… you shouldn't be in a place like this…" His head tilted to one side and he tried to jerk away, but Lightning held firm. "Wait… you're not her… you're not…"

The sound of clapping interrupted them as they left Bart's cell and entered the hall.

"Well, well, well," Hojo drawled as he took a position in the middle of the hall flanked by two dozen hired guns, all of them with their guns already out. "You actually came for him, and what an odd pair you make, a sheriff and a bandit. How interesting." He smiled, as friendly as could be. "Now how about the two of you drop yours guns. It'd be a shame if this came down to shooting."

With little choice in the matter, both Fang and Lightning tossed their guns to the floor.

"You know, Mr Estheim there is quite a man." Hojo grinned. "I'll admit, I didn't have him pegged as much, but most people break down after an hour or two. The fact is, he was going strong until just before the two of you arrived." He shrugged. "Pity he didn't know anything."

"What is this place?" Fang growled as she and Lightning carried Bart over to a chair and propped him up in it.

"You're a curious one aren't you?" Hojo said. "Well, I like to think of it as a place where I can get to know people a little better." He chuckled. "Indeed, I imagine I'll be getting to know the two of you just as well as I know Mr Estheim." He frowned faintly. "Although I have to say, I'm a little puzzled. I've heard all about the sheriff's problems with Cocoon, but you, bandit, I'm not sure why you're gunning for Cocoon." His gaze was suddenly intense and despite the wave of revulsion that swept over her, Fang found herself unable to look away. Suddenly, a dark smile broke out on Hojo's face. "Wait a second… I know those eyes, I've seen them somewhere before."

Fang clenched her fists and looked vainly at her gun on the floor. There, right in front of her, was the man responsible for what had happened to Oerba. She wanted nothing more than to tear him limb from limb, but she wasn't stupid enough to think she'd get even three paces before the hired guns beside him put her down.

"Yes…" Hojo murmured. "Yes." His eyes shone with pure malevolence. "I remember it now, it was… Oerba… I saw a girl in Oerba with eyes just like yours." He chuckled. "And she had hair like yours too, now that I think about it, and such… marvellous hatred in her eyes, just like the hatred in yours eyes right now. Yes… yes… unless I'm mistaken, you must be her." He laughed coldly. "No wonder you hate Cocoon so much."

"Shut up!" Fang growled. "You shut your damn mouth! You have no right to talk about Oerba, not you!"

Hojo tilted his head to one side. "So… you found out that I was the one responsible. Well, there really must be a leak in Cocoon." He shrugged. "I guess I'll just have to take care of that later, too." He smiled. "You know, I've always been very proud of what happened in Oerba… it was… a masterpiece."

"Shut up!" Fang screamed, voice raw as she blinked back tears. "Don't you say another word!"

Hojo just laughed softly and then glanced over at Lightning. "You seem curious, sheriff, would you like to know what happened in Oerba?"

Fang clenched her fists helplessly. That monster…

Lightning shook her head. "I can't say I really do."

"Oh, but sheriff," Hojo said, "It's only right that you know, considering the two of you are working together." Hojo smirked. "I'm sure you're familiar with the way Oerba is now, what with the mines up there, but it wasn't always that way. You see, not all that long ago, there were some tribes that lived in Oerba, primitive people, but happy, I suppose." He looked at Fang and smiled, eyes bright with something akin to ecstasy. "But those tribes didn't know what they were living on, didn't know just how much iron and coal was right under their feet." He laughed softly. "It's almost funny, really, iron and coal – the lifeblood of the modern age and so much of it under a bunch of a savages who were still bumbling around with theirs spears and bows and arrows." He shook his head. "It was worth millions, the biggest iron strike in years and one of the biggest coal strikes too and you know what, we tried to do the right thing. We actually made those savages a pretty decent offer." This time his laughter was loud and the sound of it echoed through the hall. "But they knocked it back. Those savages knocked back more money than most people could even dream of because they wanted to stay on that stupid patch of land, never mind the fact that they could have bought ten times as much with what we were offering." His eyes narrowed. "But we couldn't just go away, not from so much iron and coal, so what to do? We couldn't just kill them off. After all, the government was starting to get nosy and where would we hide all the bodies? And then it hit me..." Hojo smiled broadly and scratched the back of his head, almost as though he were embarrassed by his own cleverness. "We could kill them, we just had to make it look like an accident. You see, there are plenty of fires around Oerba each year in the summer. It gets real dry up there and there's lots of lightning. So long as we planned it carefully, no one would even know the difference." He looked at Fang and smirked. "It was beautiful. We waited till there was some lightning and then we lit the whole place on fire around them. They never had a chance, not with the way we had them boxed in with all the fires, and even if a few made it out, well… we could deal with a few them easily enough."

As Hojo's words trailed off there was an uneasy silence broken only by the deep, heaving sobs that wracked Fang's frame. Lightning moved to comfort her, but Fang shook her head slowly. This was her past, the pain that she'd carried with her down through the years and nothing would ever be able to wash it away except the blood of all the people responsible. Slowly, she took one step toward her gun. It didn't matter if she died, just so long as she managed to put a bullet in Hojo first.

"No," Lightning whispered as she put one hand on Fang's shoulder. "No."

Fang whirled on Lightning as fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. In her tear-streaked vision Lightning was little more than a blur and yet the other woman's gaze seemed to come through as clear as day. Lightning understood, Fang realised dimly as her breathing hitched again and again, somehow Lightning understood.

"You don't know what it's like," Fang whispered softly, so softly that only Lighting could hear her. "To wake up in the middle of the night and see only fire and smoke around you, to know, deep down inside, that there's no way out and that everybody you love is going to die." Tears trickled down her face and landed, one by one, on the cobblestone floor. "Me and Vanille… we were orphans but there was a woman who looked after us… she… she wrapped us in wet blankets and ran with us through the fire." She closed her eyes and clenched her fists so hard they hurt. "She… she got burned real bad because there wasn't enough water to soak a blanket for her and… and then there were men with guns… they came after us, but she pushed us ahead and told us to run… told us that she'd meet up with us later… but she knew, I could tell in her eyes that she knew she'd die there, die so that me and Vanille could live." Fang dropped to her knees. "And then there was just me and Vanille and I had to look after her because I was older and there was nobody else, not after… not after…"

"Shhh…" Lightning whispered as she sank down onto her knees beside Fang and drew the other woman into her embrace. "Shhhh…" And as Fang sobbed softly into her shoulder she shot a look at Hojo, a look so sharp, so cold, so filled with deadly fury that for all the two dozen hired guns beside him, Hojo flinched and stumbled back.

"Pathetic," Hojo spat as he regathered himself, although not a one of the hired guns blamed him for being scared, not when Lightning was looking at him like that, like he was the worst thing in creation, a thing that deserved only killing of the slowest and worst sort. "Just pathetic." He shuddered. "Well, sheriff, now that you know about Oerba, I'm sure that you're just dying to know what I've got planned next."

"Mighty generous of you," Lightning spat.

"Well, its easy to be generous when you're in a winning position, which I most definitely am," Hojo said. "Besides, look at your friend there, look at the despair on her face, isn't it wonderful?" He looked at Fang and laughed. "I wonder how much worse she'll feel knowing that what we do to the Al Bhed will be every bit as bad as what we did to Oerba."

In Lightning's arms, Fang stiffened. The Al Bhed? She knew about them… Slowly, she felt her sorrow begin to fade, felt her fury begin to rekindle and she grabbed desperately onto that rage as she forced herself to stand again and meet Hojo's gaze. She wouldn't let him break her, not after everything else he'd done. "What do you mean?" she growled as she scrubbed at her cheeks and tried to put some steel in her glare. "What are you going to do to them?"

"What do you think?" Hojo asked bluntly. "Not unlike your pathetic tribe, they're sitting one something that Cocoon can use and they don't plan on moving. Well, if it worked once, why not twice? Besides, I'm eager to see if I can do a little better this time, after all, you survived Oerba, didn't you? Maybe this time there won't be any survivors." He gestured up at the balcony and more hired guns appeared. "Now, enough chat, how about the two of you escort Mr Estheim back to his cell. After that, since I'm feeling mighty generous, I'll let you two pick your own cells."

Fang looked at Lightning and then back at Hojo. They were hopelessly outgunned now, but she'd rather die fighting than end up like up in Hojo's hands. From the looks in their eyes, she could tell that Lightning and Bart felt much the same. Slowly, she stepped toward her gun.

Hojo laughed. "You're actually going to –"

The rest of his words were cut off as the man next to him was blown off his feet, the near silence of the hall broken by the boom of a shotgun. An instant later another hired gun went down and Fang dove for her own weapon. She grabbed her guns and glanced past Hojo and the hired guns. Vanille, Quistis, and Fujin were there – they must've found the stairs and made their way down.

"Sorry we're late," Vanille growled as she fired again, "But we were a little busy upstairs."

"Impossible!" Hojo spat as he scrambled for cover. "You're supposed to be dead!"

Vanille's reply was another vicious shotgun blast that tore up the table that Hojo was hiding behind and sent the madman scrambling for something else to hide behind. "Yeah, I figured you'd think that after you blew up that guardhouse we were in. Problem is, I don't die easy, and neither do my friends here!"

Beside Vanille, Quisits had her pistols out and her face was drawn into a deep scowl as her gaze flicked first to Bart and then to the hired guns. She fired with ruthless precision and two of the hired guns went down even as a fusillade of gunfire came from the balcony, only to be silenced as Fujin drew a bead on the hired guns up there and began to whittle their numbers down.

But none of that mattered much to Fang. She had eyes only for Hojo. With a growl that rose from deep inside her, she raised her gun and fired. At the last second, Hojo flinched away so that rather than blowing a hole right through the middle of his head, her bullet instead blasted away his left ear. Hojo screamed and clutched at the wound and Fang fired again, only for a hired gun to step in the way and take the bullet instead.

"Hojo!" Fang bellowed as she fired again. This time the bullet caught him in the shoulder and Hojo spun in a great circle, his arms flung out to try and catch his balance. But before Fang could fire again, before she could finally kill the monster that had come up with the plan to destroy Oerba, she was forced to find cover as the hired guns turned their fire on her.

"We can't stay here!" Lightning said as she grabbed Bart and dragged him behind cover next to Fang. "We've got to get out while we still can."

Fang turned a frantic eye to where Hojo was hobbling toward what had to be the other way out of the hall, the hired guns close behind him to cover his retreat. "Damn it, Lightning, he's right here! I can't let him get away! I can't!" She tried to push out from behind their cover but more gunfire rained down on them. Even so, she would have gone after Hojo anyway if Lightning hadn't grabbed her arm.

"Look at Bart, Fang, look at him!" Lightning growled. "We need you if we want to get out of here in one piece, Bart needs you." Fang opened her mouth to speak, but Lightning grabbed her chin and forced her to look at Vanille. The red head's eyes were shining, but it was pretty clear that she'd been bruised up something fierce and was running more on guts than anything else. "And Vanille needs you too, Fang! If you go after Hojo now, you might get him, but there's no way you'll make it back alive and if you die then what do you think Vanille will do? Do you really think we'll all get out of this place in one piece without out you?"

Fang felt tears of frustration pour down her cheeks. "But Lightning…"

"I know, Fang!" Lightning shouted as she met and held Fang's gaze. "Damn it, I know, but you'll get another chance and don't forget what he said – they're planning to do something to the Al Bhed and we can't do a thing to help them if we die here." She holstered her gun and cupped Fang's cheeks in her hands. "I promise you, I promise you we'll get him, but right now, we need to take Bart and get out of here so we can get him patched up and work out what Cocoon's planning for the Al Behd. If we don't do that then Bart's not going to make it and neither will the Al Bhed, so please, Fang, I'm asking you, let him go, just this one time."

Fang bit her lip until it bled and then nodded. "All right… all right, Lightning, I'll let him go." She looked one last time to where Hojo was hurrying away through a door and their gazes met. In that instant she did her best to convey every ounce of hate she had inside her to him, to let him know that he might've gotten away this time, but that it would only make things worse for him in the end. It must have worked too, because he stumbled and would have fallen if a pair of hired guns hadn't caught him. "Okay," Fang said as she forced herself to smirk. "You grab one of Bart's arms, I'll grab the other," She took a quick peek around to where the others were. "On the count of three, we make a break for it, because, hell, we've been in this damned place long enough. One… two… three!"

X X X

**Author's Notes**

As always, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off this.

So… the truth about Oerba has finally been revealed. Hopefully, this goes some way to explaining why Fang and Vanille hate Cocoon with such a passion and why they have a particularly deep hatred of Hojo. Speaking of Hojo, I have to admit that I don't like the fellow much and would have been quite happy killing him off. Unfortunately, he's still got a roll to play, so he didn't quite meet his end, although he left this chapter a little less than he started it (minus an ear, as a matter of fact, and with a bullet in the shoulder to boot), so it's not like he got away completely unharmed.

On another note, this chapter was one of the trickier ones to write, simply because I didn't want to make a complete mess of revealing what happened to Oerba (and hopefully I didn't). Fang's reactions were also something I wanted to be careful with, along with Lightning's and I have to confess a soft spot for the section at the end where Lightning is forced to reason with Fang.

For those who don't know, Hojo is from FF VII, Quistis and Fujin are from FF VIII and the Al Bhed are from FF X. In particular, the Al Bhed are a tribe from FF X who suffer a great deal of discrimination from the Yevonites who happen to run most of the world (due, in part, to their use of technology, which the Yevonites think is evil).

Finally, I'm curious to know what people would think about my posting a scratchpad. By scratchpad, I mean a separate "story" in which each chapter reflects an idea that I have but haven't had time to fully develop yet. Think of it as potentially providing "teasers" for future work, although I won't be able to say when the stories in the scratchpad will actually get developed (or even if all of those posted in the scratchpad will be developed). Also, I have to say I'm a little curious as to the somewhat cool reception that the last chapter got (at least in terms of views and number of reviews). I don't think I made a mess of it, but if I did, I'd be interested to know what exactly went wrong.

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	26. Chapter 26

**A Moment's Rest**

Fang's lips curved into a smirk as laid eyes on the place where Lightning and the others were staying. She'd kind of figured that Lightning would be staying some place nice, but this really was something. This place had money written all over it, lots and lots of money. However, the smirk slipped off her face the moment her eyes moved from the house over to Bart. The man was out on his feet, and it said a lot about him that he'd managed to make it all the way back to the house before he passed out. That was a good thing too, because while she didn't think that she and Lightning would have much trouble carrying him around, the sight of them dragging an unconscious man around was bound to bring trouble their way.

"Looks like this is where we part ways, sunshine," Fang said as she tossed a sideways glance at Lightning. It was still a little hard to look the sheriff in the eye after everything that had happened in the dungeon. Lightning had seen her at her weakest, but she hadn't taken advantage. Instead, she'd done the complete opposite, and Fang still wasn't quite sure what to make of the tightness that rose up in her chest every time she thought back to the tenderness that had been in Lightning's eyes, or the gentle way the other woman had touched her. "I guess we can meet up at the usual place tomorrow night, get something worked out about what we're going to do next." With a little nod, she turned away.

Only Lighting wasn't about to let her just run off like that.

"You're not going anywhere, Fang," Lightning said as she reached out and caught Fang's wrist. Fang turned, a smart mouthed comment on her lips, but the words were gone before she'd even spoken them, stolen away by the stern but tender look on Lightning's face. "Just wait a second."

"You're acting awfully forward, sunshine," Fang drawled when she could finally speak again. Grinning in a way she just knew would get on Lightning's nerves, she glanced down at where Lightning's hand had wrapped around her wrist. "If you wanted me to stay the night, all you had to do was ask."

"Stay the night?" The expression on Lightning's face vanished in an instant, replaced instead by a blush and then a wave of irritation that somehow only made the sheriff look better. It didn't hurt either, that Lightning's jaw was clenched and Fang couldn't help but notice that it was a very fine jaw, just the kind she'd love to kiss. "That's not what I meant and you know it!" Aware now, that they had something of an audience with both Vanille and Fujin staring at them mighty intently, Lightning lowered her voice. "It's just, you and Vanille are pretty banged up. I'm sure the others have got a doctor in there, someone who can take a look at you two."

Fang felt a little pang of disappointment as Lightning's hand dropped from her wrist. "Well, you don't have to worry about us. Vanille and I have been through worse." Behind Lightning, Vanille chuckled and nodded. "We've got our own place to stay. We'll head back there and get a friend of ours to look us over." Fang winced a little as she said the last part. It probably wasn't entirely right to say that she and Lahna were friends. It was more like they tolerated each other. "Besides, you were right by me the whole time, sunshine. You know for a fact that there's not a scratch on me."

"Not a scratch huh?" Lightning's eyes narrowed a fraction and Fang again had that feeling that Lightning could see right through. Most times, she found the thought of that pretty pleasant, right now, however, she found it more than a little unsettling. "Maybe you're right and there's not a scratch on you, but I don't think so." Lightning's voice was little more than a whisper. "Because there's some scratches you can't see."

Fang chuckled softly. There was not a doubt in her mind that Lightning was referring to the things that Hojo had said to her, but damn it, she'd kind of been hoping that Lightning wouldn't bring that up. Fang had never cared too much for letting people see her when she was weak and she'd always made damn sure to never let Vanille see her like that. She needed to be strong, strong enough to carry all the burdens of the past because Vanille's shoulders just weren't broad enough to carry something like that. Only Sazh had ever really seen her like that and even though she'd be damned before she ever said it out loud, the old man was about the closest thing she had to a father. But it was tempting, awfully tempting now, to let Lightning shoulder some of the burden. Lightning was strong, real strong, and she hadn't thought less of Fang for stumbling just a little.

"No, Lightning," Fang said at last. "I'm glad you offered, real glad, and you should know that what you did for me tonight means a lot, but Vanille and I need to get going. Besides, don't you think we've dragged you into enough trouble as it is?"

"You're stubborn aren't you?" Lightning shot back before she went ahead and took aim at the one thing that Fang could never guard against. "Have you taken a look at Vanille, Fang? Well, how about you take one now, a good, long look. She's just about out on her feet and you know that she didn't come out of there without a few scratches. She needs a doctor and you know it, so stop being so damn stubborn and come inside with us."

"Fine, fine." Fang rolled her eyes at Lightning before she glanced at Vanille. The red head was starting to look a little down now that the rush that always came with a shootout had begun to ebb away. "You're a pushy thing, you know that, don't you? We'll stay the night and then head off in the morning."

"Good." Lightning grimaced. "Now, let's get going, Bart definitely could use that doctor now."

They got Bart up the steps at the front of the house and knocked on the front door. Hardly a moment passed before the door opened and Fang found herself face to face with a blonde man who had a scar over his brow. He was a tough looking fellow, a soldier, if Fang had to guess, and his eyes were filled with the eerie calm that only the finest soldiers ever got. But his gaze softened a fair bit when he looked past her and saw Lightning and the others and he was quick to reach for Bart and take the man off their hands.

"Lightning!" As the soldier went into the house with Bart, someone rushed past him and all but threw themselves at the sheriff.

That someone turned out to be a woman a few years younger than Lightning. In the dim light cast by the lamps near the door, it was hard for Fang to make out her features to clearly, but the pink hair was hard to miss, as were the blue eyes. Neither of them were quite the same shade as Lightning's, but it didn't take much a leap to see that the young woman and Lightning were family, probably sisters.

"We heard the explosions," the young woman said and Fang had to bite back a smile at the picture Lightning made, one arm wrapped around the young woman to hold her upright, the other brushing gently through her hair in a motion that seemed more instinct than anything else. "And when you and the others took so long to get back, I started to get worried and…"

"It's all right, Serah," Lightning said and Fang grinned when Lightning took a moment to glare at her. Clearly, the sheriff wasn't too happy letting others see her get all soft and gentle. "We just ran into a little trouble is all, but nothing we couldn't handle."

"Oh…" Serah pulled away from Lightning and glanced over the lot of them before her eyes finally came to rest on Fang. "Um… are you Fang?"

Oh, now this was interesting – the young woman knew who she was. Fang smirked. "That's right, little lady, and I'm guessing that you're Lightning's little sister." Serah nodded and Fang shot her a winning smile. Much to her amusement, Serah blushed and Lightning's glare only intensified. "I figure that Lightning's must have been talking about me if you know who I am – only good things I hope." She grinned at Lightning. "Why didn't you tell me your sister was so pretty, Lightning? She looks almost as good as you –"

Fang ducked just in time to avoid Lightning's punch. It helped her cause a little that Lightning was still holding Serah, which made throwing a punch sort of awkward.

"Anyway, Serah," Fang continued as she backed up a few steps. "Your sister there invited us to stay over for the night." She pointed at Vanille. "I figure you already know everybody else, but that there is Vanille."

Serah glanced over at Vanille and waved. The red head was only too happy to wave back, although the gesture was probably a little more menacing than it had to be, considering that she still had her shotgun slung over one shoulder. Looking back at Fang, Serah spoke again, her voice lowered to a whisper. "Is it true that you kissed my sister?"

Fang's eyes widened. How exactly had Serah found out about that? Although judging from the vicious glare that Lightning was giving Quistis, it was probably the marshal's fault. "Now that you mention it, I am." She looked carefully at Serah. "You got a problem with that?"

Serah giggled. "Well… you're not exactly what I expected. Mostly though, I'm just surprised you're still alive."

Well, well, well, Fang thought. The younger Farron sure was interesting. "I'm a little surprised myself, actually. Sunshine can get pretty violent when the mood takes her." She paused for a moment as she noticed Lightning's hand creep toward her gun. "Anyway, maybe it's best we head inside now. I want to know how Bart's doing and we can all use a rest."

The mention of Bart seemed to sober everything up pretty quickly and the group followed Serah into the house. Bart was laid out on a bed in the middle of what looked to be a sitting room, which was probably for the best. It would be easier for people to look in on him and watch over him than if he was closeted away in a private bedroom.

There were a fair number of other people in the room too, most of them backed away enough to give Bart some room to breathe. Fang didn't recognise all of them, but she knew Hope and Nora well enough. The two Estheims were right by Bart's side and Fang was pretty glad that they only had eyes for Bart. She wasn't sure how she'd take it if Nora looked at her the way Hope had looked at her back in the saloon when they'd been meeting up with Reeve. Snow was there too and she saw the big man's eyes widen in surprise. Yep, he'd definitely have a few questions for them, but with any luck Quistis or Lightning could field those.

However, the person that stood out the most was the blonde woman who stood right by the soldier who had greeted them at the door. It took Fang a moment to place her, but then it hit her. That was Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca, one of the richest women in the country. Well, that certainly explained the house and everything, although she was kind of curious to know just how someone like Lightning knew someone like Ashelia.

The last person in the room had to be the doctor. He had a kind look to him, which the glasses he wore certainly didn't hurt. He was a little old though, certainly a fair few years older than Sazh, but what stood out most on him was the red vest that he wore over his white shirt.

"This here is Dr Cid Kramer," Ashelia said. "He's been a physician for my family for some time now." She met Lightning's gaze evenly. "We can trust him with this."

At Ashelia's words, Cid stood and ran his eyes over the group. Meeting the doctor's gaze, Fang gave a mental snort. The man might be a doctor now, but something told her he hadn't always been one and that he was still mighty dangerous even if he was getting on in years. "This is quite the group you've got here, Miss Ashelia." Cid chuckled. "Two famous bandits, an equally famous sheriff, and two marshals." He inclined his head at Quistis. "It's been a while."

"Yes, sir, it has." There was something odd in Quistis' voice that Fang couldn't quite place. It was pretty clear the marshal knew the fellow, but she seemed a little puzzled too. "I wasn't aware you'd become a doctor, sir."

Cid smiled faintly. "Times change, Quistis. You haven't seen me since you were a kid. After everything that happened, Edea just wanted to settle down and live the quiet life and well, so did I." His eyes softened. "I was a doctor long before I was anything else, Quistis, and I was glad to go back to it full time, instead of just doing it on the side. Besides," he looked at Ashelia and smiled. "It's nice to be able to watch my patients grow up and make something of themselves. Still, I'm glad you were able to become a marshal. I always figured you'd be good at it."

"Dr Kramer," Lightning asked. "All that aside, how is Bart?"

Cid sighed. "I'm still looking him over, but I don't think he's in too much danger."

Fang gave a little wince. The doctor hadn't exactly put that very well and neither Nora nor Hope seemed pleased. She could hardly blame them too. Bart certainly looked like he was in pretty poor shape. "What do you mean?" Fang asked. "He doesn't exactly look well, you know."

Cid must have caught his slip, because he gave both Hope and Nora an apologetic look. "I don't mean to make light of his injuries, but as far as I can tell, he'll be fine, given time." He read the surprise on their faces and pressed on, "Right now it looks pretty bad, but I'll say this – whoever did this to him has done this kind of thing before. They roughed him up plenty, but they knew just how and where to hit him. He's hurting, all right, but he hasn't been hurt anywhere to vital." His lips thinned. "I'll get him patched up – he's definitely going to need a lot of stitches – and I'll have to check him over a bit more, make sure to set all the bones he's broken, but once that's done, he should be okay." He looked over at first Ashelia and then Fang. "Who did this anyway? It's been a while since I've seen this kind of work. It's… troubling, to say the least."

"Trust me," Fang said with a grimace. "You really don't want to know."

"I figured it'd be something like that." Cid stood up and reached for a valise he had propped over on the side of Bart's bed. "I think I'll deal with Bart's injuries first and then check the rest of you over, unless any of you have got something you need to have me look at right away."

Fang shook her head. "See to Bart, I think the rest of us can wait." She glanced over at Vanille and almost laughed when the red head's stomach gave an angry growl. "It's been a while since we had anything to eat though. You have anything we can eat?" She glanced at Lightning and then Ashelia. "There's some stuff we should talk about too, and I think some food and drink might make that a bit easier too."

Ashelia nodded. "Lightning, can you take them into the dining room? I'll just have a word or two to Dr Kramer."

Lightning led the rest of them into the dining room and Fang gave a low whistle of approval. Ashelia was rich all right. Everything, from the tablecloth to the cutlery, was of the highest quality. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the gleam in Vanille's eyes and gave the younger woman a faint frown. These people were on their side, which meant stealing from them was not an option, although she doubted Ashelia would miss a trinket or two.

"We had some food laid out just in case," Ashelia said as she joined them in the dining room. "I figured you all might be hungry after you came back. Besides," she said with a quick glance at Serah, "No one else wanted to eat till you were back, anyway."

"That's mighty kind of you," Fang replied as ran her eyes over the spread on the table. There was plenty of food there, everything from sandwiches and pasta, to hot soup and roasted meat. There were drinks too and it took a fair bit of control to not just lunge forward and pour herself a bourdon, because damn it, she sure could use one.

"Now, how about you all have a seat?" Ashelia said. "We can talk as you eat. I for one am quite curious to know just what happened and just what sort of property damage you might have caused, or rather, Basch would like to know just what sort of property damage you might have caused," she said the last part with a hint of a smile, although Basch gave all of them a stern look. Clearly, Fang thought, the soldier wasn't one to like the undue use of explosives, which meant he and Vanille probably weren't going to get along too well.

As the others got settled down at the table, Lightning spoke up. "The others look a little hungry, so I guess I'll be the one to tell you what happened." She sighed. "And don't worry too much about the property damage. Pretty much all of it was confined to Hojo's place, anyway."

While Lightning went through the whole sorry mess, Fang ate just enough to beat back the hunger gnawing at her stomach. Mostly though, she watched the others. She trusted Lightning and Quistis well enough, and Fujin had earned her trust by looking out for Vanille. However, she didn't know the others all that well and she knew from past experience that not knowing what sort of people you were around could lead to trouble.

She discounted Snow almost right away. The big man had a good heart and while she'd have a bit of explaining to do, Fang doubted he'd be a danger to her or Vanille, not unless they went after him first, or maybe Serah. From the way things looked, he was pretty sweet on the younger Farron, although it didn't look like Lightning approved all that much. She had to hand it to Snow though. It took a lot of guts to smile at Serah like that with Lightning around and not approving. As for Serah, it didn't take much to pick up on how important she was to Lightning, not with the way the older Farron seemed to dote on her. Looking at the two of them now, a few things started to make more sense to Fang, like the way Lightning had understood how much she cared about Vanille. She hadn't had the chance to ask Lightning too much about it, but she had a pretty strong suspicion that the two Farrons had grown up with just each other for family.

During the explanation, Fang also watched Vanille. She was real relieved to see the red head pitch into her food with no small amount of gusto. When Vanille got hurt, really hurt, or sick, she never wanted to eat anything so the fact that she was almost shovelling her food down was something of a relief. It didn't hurt either that as Vanille ate almost everyone else at the table gave her a sceptical glance or two. They were probably wondering just where she put all of that food, and for the life of her, Fang still didn't know and she'd been with Vanille for just about her whole life.

When Lightning got to the part where she and Fang encountered Hojo in the dungeon, Fang felt a shiver run through her. There were things that had been said that she didn't want Lightning repeating, nor did she want Lightning telling everyone just how much Hojo had gotten to her. But Lightning must have seen her nervousness, because she handled things just about as well as Fang could hope for. In calm, clinical terms, the sheriff outlined what Hojo had done to Oerba along with his plans to do it to the Al Bhed, as well. She left out almost everything else, from Hojo's vicious words, to the way that Fang had broken down. Really, if they hadn't had an audience, or if she wasn't so sure that Lightning would punch her silly for it, Fang could have reached across the table and dragged the sheriff into the best damn kiss she'd ever had.

"So," Lightning said as she wound up the tale. "That's where we stand. Hojo's got something planned for the Al Bhed and, honestly, I don't plan on letting him get his way, not this time."

"Glad you feel that way, sunshine," Fang said softly as she gave Lightning a small nod to let the other woman know that she was grateful for what she'd done. "I hope you folks all feel the same."

"We do," Basch said. "No decent person could hear something like that and not want to get involved." He paused. "I can't say I know too much about the Al Bhed though, and running in there blind isn't going to do much other than get the lot of us killed."

Fang bit her lip. "They live out West a bit, a couple of hundred miles south of where Oerba used to be. They're a tribal people, but they've got a knack for wandering. The odds are, you've probably see them around out West more than a couple of times. Strange as it sounds, they're not too bad when it comes to tinkering with mechanical stuff. A lot of them fix things for a living when they wander around, you know, clocks, sewing machines, that sort of thing." She glanced across the table. "I know Vanille's learned a thing or two from them over the years."

"That interesting," Lightning said. "Do you think you could lead us to them if you had to?"

Fang nodded. "It's a bit of a trek though. The railway doesn't go all the way there, so you have to take a train for a few days and then ride for the rest of it. All up, it might take us a week and a bit to get there if there isn't any trouble."

"A week?" Lightning scowled. "That's a long time, maybe too long."

"You mentioned that Hojo used fire to destroy Oerba," Quistis said softly. "Is he going to do the same thing to the Al Bhed? Can he do the same thing?"

"That monster Hojo will do just about whatever it takes, but no, I don't think he'll use fire." Fang's eyes narrowed. "The Al Bhed live near the desert along a river, so there's really not a lot there that can actually burn." Her brows furrowed. "Now that you mention… I'm not sure how he's going to get rid of him unless…"

"Unless what?" Quistis asked.

"Way back, there used to be flooding problems over there," Fang said as her eyes darkened dangerously. "You see, that river they live along starts off pretty far away. Come the rainy season, it used to burst its banks a lot, really do some damage. A while back, someone built a dam to try and control the flooding and since then, things have been all right."

"But if Cocoon takes out the dam during the rainy season," Lightning murmured. "The Al Bhed won't have a chance.

"No," Fang said, "They won't." She laughed bitterly. "It makes perfect sense, you know. The rainy season has been going on for a couple of weeks now, which means that the dam has to be getting pretty close to full. If they blow the dam, the river won't just burst its banks, it'll wipe the Al Bhed out entirely. They'll never even see it coming either, not until the river is right on top of them and the lot of them are drowning." She clenched her fists. "Even if someone does manage to get away from all the flooding, they'll never be able to get away from the people Cocoon will have hanging around to take out any survivors. It'll be perfect, just like Hojo said." She made a disgusted sound. "And once the water goes down, Cocoon can just waltz in and buy the place."

"Hold on there," Basch said. "This all sounds like it fits, but does Cocoon even have access to the dam."

"I don't know," Fang said, "But I bet they do. They were prepared pretty well when it came to Oerba."

Quistis frowned faintly. "I remember looking through those papers that we took from Cocoon a couple of nights back. There was definitely mention of them owning lands out that way. I didn't know what to make of that at the time, but I guess I do now."

"This is all crazy." Ashelia pushed to her feet. "We can't just let them get away with this. I can have my company do something and –"

"Don't." Fang's voice was grim as she cut Ashelia off mid-sentence. "If you try something now, they'll just back off for a while and try again next year. As it is, we don't have anything they can't deny, at least for now, and if you go after them, they'll look to take you out, as well. Besides, we've already got people going after them in the courts, but we all know how long that will take. Even if things go just right, the courts won't be able to stop Cocoon, not in time to save the Al Bhed, anyway. No, if we want to stop them, we're going to have to do it ourselves."

Ashelia sank back into her seat. "I could hire some people to help you though. The way things are looking, there's going to be shooting and I can afford to hire a fair number of extra guns."

Fang shook her head. "We can't do that either. Cocoon already knows we're coming. If they see us headed their way with a whole heap of hired guns, they might get nervous, maybe even blow the dam before we get a chance to stop them." She sighed. "If you want to help us, we're going to need supplies along with a way to get out there as soon as possible once everyone is in decent shape again."

"Don't worry," Ashelia said. "If there's anything I can do to help, I will." She glanced at Basch. "Head down to the train station tomorrow. Fang said there was a train that headed that way. See if you can get tickets for a trip in a couple of days." She glanced at the others. "A couple of days should be enough rest, right?"

Fang nodded. "It'll have to be." She groaned and took a sip of water. "Now, I'm sure there's some other things we have to talk about, but maybe we can leave that till tomorrow. As it is, I'm feeling a mite tired. I don't suppose you've got some place I could get some shut eye?"

Ashelia looked over at Lightning. "The rooms across from yours should be free."

With that, the meeting came to an end and Fang followed Lightning upstairs. As she followed Lightning, Fang kept a close eye on her surroundings. It wouldn't do to get lost, and if she and Vanille needed to leave in a hurry, she wanted to know where she was going.

"So," Fang said as they walked along the corridor. "I don't suppose you'll be giving me a look at your room will you, sunshine?"

Lightning stopped dead in her tracks and Fang nearly ran into her. When she turned, there was a hint of colour in her cheeks and a curious mix of anger and something gentler in her eyes. "Why are you always pushing me, Fang?" She folded her arms over her chest and Fang had to stop herself from glancing down. "I think I've got you figured out pretty well, but I still don't quite understand that."

Despite the tiredness that had begun to seep into her bones, Fang found herself on edge at the tone in Lightning's voice, but it was a good kind of edge, like the rush she felt when bullets were flying everywhere and all she could feel was the pounding of her heart. "Why do you think?" She smirked. "It's because you look so damn good when you're mad."

"You're really something," Lightning snarled as she gave Fang a shove toward one of the doors. "That's your room there."

Fang chuckled and opened the door. The room was a lot better than the one she had at the boarding house that was for sure. Still, she hadn't quite gotten her fill of teasing Lightning yet and there was a part of her that wanted the sheriff to know that she was okay now, even if she'd never say as much. "That your room, Lightning?" Fang drawled as she leaned past Lightning and pushed the door opposite hers open. "Mind if I have a look?"

Lightning flushed prettily and tried to stop her, but Fang was just a little too fast for her. Fang opened the door and peeked in only to feel a little stab of disappointment. There was almost nothing to show that the bedroom was Lightning's except for the clothes neatly stacked on one of the dressers – all of them serviceable trousers and shirts – but then her eyes caught sight of the thing on the bed. It was a black nightgown, all nice looking and slinky, and she knew, just by looking, that it would fit Lightning well and that the black would contrast pretty nicely with the pink of the sheriff's hair and the fairness of her skin. It would go well with her eyes too, for that matter.

"That's not mine," Lightning growled as she stepped between Fang and the nightgown. "And I'd appreciate it if you didn't go barging into my room like this."

Normally, Fang might have backed off, but not this time. Maybe it was the adrenaline still rushing faintly through her veins, or maybe it was the oddly flustered look on Lightning's face. In any case, she feinted to one side and when Lightning went to stop her, she moved the other way and snatched up the nightgown. Grinning broadly, she held up in front of Lightning. "You say it isn't yours, sheriff, but somehow I doubt that. Look, it's just about your size."

"Give that back!" Lightning growled as she swiped at the nightgown.

"Not a chance," Fang teased as she backed away. "Although I might consider it if you tried it on for me."

That last part was probably a bit too far, Fang thought, before Lightning got sick of snatching at the nightgown and just tackled her. They ended up on the floor in a tangle of limbs with the nightgown stuck between them and Fang was only too happy to let Lightning end up on top.

"Getting mighty comfortable there, aren't you, sunshine?" Fang drawled as Lightning grabbed the nightgown and hugged it to her chest.

"What?" Lightning spat before she realised where she was and all but leapt off Fang. "Get out!"

"Fine, fine," Fang said as she beat a hasty retreat for the door. Baiting Lightning was fun all right, just the thing to take her mind off of that monster Hojo, but she'd probably pushed the sheriff as much as she could for one day and still come out alive. Still, she couldn't resist one parting shot. "I'm just going to go off and say good night to Vanille, I don't suppose you could change into that thing before I come back, could you?"

Lightning snarled and Fang had just enough time to duck before a boot thudded into the wall where her head had been. Tired or not, the sheriff still had a heck of an arm.

Fang headed to the room next to hers and found Vanille sprawled out on the bed with her boots off and a look of utter bliss on her face. When the red head spotted her, she gave Fang a lazy wave and went back to snuggling into the sheets laid out on the bed.

"This bed is so soft," Vanille said. "And the sheets are so smooth." She giggled. "Once all of this is over, we have to get ourselves a place just like this."

"That's a little over the top, don't you think? We might have done well for ourselves emptying Cocoon's pockets, Vanille, but a place like this doesn't come cheap." Fang smiled and flopped down on the bed next to Vanille. "Anyway, you had a chance to see the doctor?"

Vanille nodded and snuggled into a soft, plush pillow. "I had a little chat to him while Lightning was showing you to your room."

"And?" Fang asked.

"Nothing too serious, just bruises and a couple of cuts and scrapes." Vanille grinned. "You know, Fang, you're pretty cute when you get all worried. You get all… cuddly."

"I do not get all cuddly," Fang shot back as she moved away from Vanille a little. Maybe she had been about to pull Vanille into a hug, but that was just because she was worried. She was not getting cuddly. "I'm a little surprised you got off so lightly though, seeing as how Hojo blew up that guardhouse you were all in."

Vanille shrugged. "He did blow the place up, but we had just enough time to see him coming. We managed to get out of the windows before the whole place went up, although the blast threw us pretty far, which is why I'm all banged up." She pointed at the bedside table. "The doctor gave me some salve to rub on my cuts and bruises. He said I should be right in a couple of days."

"How about Quistis?" Fang asked. "She looked a little woozy there."

Vanille grimaced. "She took a bit of knock to the head from one of those guards. The doctor said she's got a concussion, so he's spending a little more time with her downstairs to make sure she's all right. She should be fine in a few days though, unless she takes another knock to the head." She reached over and poked Fang in the side. "What are we going to do about the Al Bhed, Fang?"

"We're all tired right now, Vanille. The best thing we can do is sleep on it and talk it over tomorrow morning." She rolled out of the bed and got to her feet. "Now enough talking, Vanille, you need to get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow."

Vanille smiled. "Good night, Fang, and don't forget to say good night to sheriff too, while you're up."

Fang grinned. "Don't worry, Vanille, I wouldn't forget to do something like that."

"Of course not," Vanille shot back as Fang strode out of the room. "Not with the way you're gawping at her all the time."

Fang bit back a smile as she left Vanille's room and headed back over to Lightning's to say goodnight. If she was lucky, the sheriff wouldn't have any boots within reach to throw at her.

"Hey, sunshine, just coming in to say good…" Fang trailed off as she finally saw Lightning.

From the looks of things, Fang had just walked in on the sheriff changing and even if it was just about the most hackneyed thing she could even imagine, right now, she couldn't really bring herself to care. Sure, all she could see was Lightning's back, but what a back it was. The skin there was so smooth and fair that she was hard pressed not to just rush forward and press her lips against it. There was the odd scar here and there, but somehow that only seemed to make Lightning look better. Lightning was a woman who lived, Fang thought, in the moments between gunshots and sabre strikes, just like she did.

Swallowing thickly, Fang's eyes traced the graceful curve of Lightning's spine down from her slim but strong shoulders to her slender waist and then to the unmistakably feminine swell of her hips. Scarcely aware of the time – hell, she could have stared forever – Fang finally realised that there was a mirror behind Lightning and almost without thinking, her eyes shot to it only to meet twin pools of cerulean ice.

"I know you can see me in that mirror, Fang, and so help me, if you even think of looking any lower, I'll shoot you." Lightning gestured at the gun on the bed beside her. "So, how about you just back up and shut the door behind you?"

Fang took a moment to steady herself and then grinned. "You know, sunshine, you'd have to turn around to shoot me and that, quite honestly, would be quite a view."

In the mirror, Lightning's cheeks flushed prettily, but her eyes narrowed. "You willing to die for that view?"

Fang's grin widened. "Damn straight I would. Besides, I don't think you'd shoot me – you like me too much."

Lightning reached down and for a moment Fang's heart raced. Was the sheriff really going to shoot her? And then she noticed that Lightning wasn't reaching for her gun, she was reaching for her other boot.

"Aw, hell," Fang muttered as she turned and darted for the door. She managed to close it just in time for Lightning's boot to thump into it. "Damn," she muttered, "A pity I was too busy running to turn around and get a better look."

"I heard that, Fang!" Lightning roared as she stomped toward the door. "If you know what's good for you, you won't even think of trying something like that again."

Hands wrapped firmly around the doorknob to keep the door shut – Lightning sounded like she was still in a killing mood – Fang spoke through the door. "I know this probably isn't the best time, sunshine, but I figured I should thank you for what you did for me, not just in that dungeon, but downstairs too."

The thumping on the door stopped and Fang had a feeling that she'd managed to catch Lightning off guard with the sudden change of subject. "That's okay," Lightning said at last, not nearly as angry as she'd been before. "It wouldn't have been right to do otherwise. You are… you are doing fine now, right?"

Fang laughed softly. "Never better, sunshine, all thanks to you." She laughed. "Anyway, I should probably say good night, unless of course you want a good night kiss, as well?"

A growl came from the other side of the door and Fang backed away slowly. It wouldn't do to get killed now, not before she'd had a chance to settle things with Hojo. However, as she turned to go to her room she almost ran smack bang into Serah.

"You walked in on my sister changing," Serah said and the way she said it made it more of a statement than a question and despite the fact that Serah was not only a great deal shorter, but also very lightly built, Fang found herself feeling mighty nervous.

"Uh… yes." Fang backed away a little. Serah wasn't supposed to be much of a fighter, but looks could be deceiving – just take Vanille for an example. The red head fought dirtier than anyone Fang knew.

"And you're still alive." Serah smiled faintly. "Lightning must really like you." And then, to Fang's surprise, the younger woman's smile faded and Serah's blue eyes hardened. Suddenly, Serah didn't seem so harmless anymore and Fang found herself backing up as Serah advanced until Fang's back hit the opposite wall. "I love my sister, Fang, love her lots. I think it's great she's finally found someone who she likes, someone who can keep up with her, but I'm telling you right now… if you take advantage of her, I'll make you sorry. Understand?"

"Um… sure." Fang breathed a sigh of relief as Serah pulled back and shot her another happy smile. "Well, uh, good night then, Serah," she said before she made a hasty dash for her door and locked it behind her. Lightning could be scary all right, but Serah was no slouch either.

X X X

With how tired everyone was, it was almost midday before they gathered around the dining table to talk through what their plans would be. Like before, Nora and Hope were absent, both of them still sleeping in the sitting room with Bart, which wasn't too surprising since the two of them had spent all night up watching over him. Still, it probably wouldn't be too long before the smell of the good food laid out on the table had them up and about.

"So," Fang said as she reached for the flannel cakes and put a few on her plate. "I know we said we'd wait a couple of days before heading out to where the Al Bhed are, but there are still a couple of things we need to talk through." She stopped for a moment and took a bite of a flannel cake. It was good, and what made it taste even better was that she hadn't had to pry it out of Lahna's hands.

"You mentioned last night that they'd probably try to blow the dam during the rainy season. You also said that the rainy season started a couple of weeks ago. How much more time do you think we really have?" Lightning asked before she poured herself a cup of coffee and took a good, long sip of it. Watching the sheriff give a soft sigh of contentment as she put the cup down, Fang wondered if it was crazy to be jealous of the cup.

"The sooner we get to them, the better," Fang said. "Once that dam is full, they'll make their play and if we aren't there by then, well, it'll be all over."

"Fair enough," Quistis said. The marshal looked a little worse for wear, but her eyes no longer looked so hazy. "But we still need to take a few days rest, otherwise we won't be in any condition for a fight." She paused for a moment, brows furrowed. "Once we get there, we need to warn them, maybe even get them to fight with us."

Fang bit her lip softly. The people of Oerba had always been pretty friendly with the other tribes, but it had been a long time since she'd had much use for what she'd learned about them. "From what I remember," she said slowly, "The Al Bhed aren't really warriors. Sure, they've got some warriors, but they never really liked fighting much. I figure, they'd much rather be left on their own. If we just waltz in there screaming stuff about how Cocoon is going to kill the lot of them, I doubt they'd believe us."

"That's true," Quistis said. "And that reminds me… last night I was looking through some of the copies I made of the paperwork we took from Cocoon." At her side, Fujin gave Quistis a glare and it didn't take much puzzling to work out that the silver haired woman wasn't pleased one bit that Quistis had spent the night going over paperwork. "It turns out that Cocoon's been spending a lot of money helping the Al Bhed out. They've even paid to have wells put in and a teacher set up too. The fact is, the Al Bhed probably trust them."

Vanille made a disgusted sound. "I bet that cost them a pretty penny, but not nearly as much as they're hoping to make once they get rid of all the Al Bhed." She scowled. "The more I hear, the more I wish we'd be able to take Hojo out last night." She shot Fang a grin. "At least Fang gave him something to remember us by."

"Yes, and I plan on getting the job done next time," Fang said. "So, how are we going to get the Al Bhed to listen to us then? It won't mean a thing if we warn them and they don't listen."

Nervously, Serah spoke up. "I think I might be able to help there." Suddenly all eyes were on the younger Farron and Serah laughed a little nervously. "You see, when I was attending university here to learn teaching, I made friends with someone who was a couple of years ahead of me. We… we still exchange letters and from what she mentioned a year or so ago, she's over with the Al Bhed."

"That right?" Fang grinned. If that friend of Serah's had been able to stick it out for an entire year, it was pretty likely that the Al Bhed trusted her. "Do you think she'll listen to us, maybe try and convince the Al Bhed that we're telling the truth?"

Serah winced. "I think so, but… you should know. She's pretty strong minded."

"Strong minded?" Fang happened to think strong minded women were just fine. "What's her name?"

"Lulu," Serah replied.

Fang nodded. "Well, get a letter to her written up or something, because we're going to need her on board if we're going to have a decent shot at this."

"So, that's the plan then?" Lightning asked. "We get Serah to write a letter to Lulu about all this, head over, and hopefully we get there in time to stop Cocoon."

"Sounds about right," Fang replied. "We'll head over in a couple of days once we've gotten a chance for a bit of rest." Everyone nodded. "Now, how about we settle down and get some eating done. I could use a good meal."

Lunch went pretty well, and Fang wasn't too surprised to see Nora and Hope duck in to grab some food before heading back to watch over Bart. The poor fellow was still asleep, although Fang could hardly blame him for that. Dr Kramer had given him some drugs for the pain and that meant he'd be out for a while yet.

The other thing that made lunch pretty nice was the fact that she got a chance to tease Lightning in front of an audience. The audience part was pretty important, because after last night, she figured Lightning's fuse was probably a little shorter than usual. However, the mood took a pretty big turn for the worse when Basch bustled into the dining room with a grim look on his face. It turned out, he'd just come back from the train station and the news he had wasn't the least bit good.

"What's going on, Basch?" Ashelia asked.

"I was at the train station buying tickets for the train in a couple of days when I happened to see a friend of ours board a train of his own." Basch's expression darkened. "It was Hojo."

Fang shot to her feet. "What? What was Hojo doing there?"

"My guess is he's going to get that plan of his started sooner rather than later." Basch shook his head slowly. "The train he caught was headed to the same place as ours – toward the Al Bhed." He growled softly. "I did my best to try and get the train held up, but I couldn't do more than delay it a few a minutes."

Fang sank back into her chair. "This is it then, they're really going to go for it while we're still licking our wounds." She banged one hand on the table. "Damn it, that train's going to give him a heck of a head start. When's the next one?"

Basch sighed. "There isn't another one until tomorrow morning."

"Damn." Fang bit her lip. "All right, get us tickets for that train tomorrow. We can't let them get any further ahead of us than they already are."

"I'll get them," Basch said. "The train leaves tomorrow morning just after dawn at six o'clock, make sure you don't miss it."

"Don't worry, we won't." Fang looked around the table and winced. "Look, I know we're all a bit beat up right now, but we have to make that train."

Lightning nodded. "Don't worry, we all know that." She paused. "Now, we just have to make sure we know who's going to go."

"What do you mean?" Serah whispered. "Aren't we all going to go?"

Lightning shook her head and Fang could almost see the gears turning in Serah's head as the younger Farron caught on to what Lightning was going to say. "It's too dangerous for you, Serah. This isn't going to be like it's been the last couple of days. Cocoon knows we're coming and this time, we'll have no choice but to fight and they're going to come after us with everything they've got. I… I don't want to lose you."

Silence fell over the room and even Fang had to look away because right at that moment, Lightning's face showed everything she felt and there wasn't a person in that room who didn't feel a little bit humbled by the caring they saw there.

"No," Serah said as she squared her shoulders and steadied her voice. "No, you're not leaving me behind, not this time."

"Serah…"

And then the little Farron shoved to her feet and Fang saw, really saw, the mettle that Serah hid deep down inside. It made her realise just how similar Serah and Lightning really were. Strip away everything on the outside that made them seem different – the clothes, the occupations, the guns – and the Farrons, both of them, were pure steel, the kind that only the rugged harshness of the West could forge, the kind that nothing in the world could break.

"Don't you 'Serah' me, Lightning," Serah growled as she stalked over to Lightning. "All those times you've come back home beat up, cut up, bruised, or even shot… and always it's been because of me, because you're always looking out for me, always trying to find a way to make sure I have what's best in life. But Lightning… it hurts… it hurts to see you like that because of me. You're my sister, Lightning, a part of me, and whenever you hurt, I hurt." She sniffled miserably but when Lightning reached for her, Serah pulled away, eyes flashing defiance even as a few tears trickled down her cheeks. "But not this time, Lightning. You said it yourself. This time it's different, this time you don't know if you'll come back and I am not just going to sit here waiting and hoping that you'll be okay." She scrubbed at her cheeks. "I know that I'm not brave like you, or strong, or fast, but you taught me how to shoot and even if I don't like shooting, if it means that I'll be helping, I'll shoot anyone who tries to hurt you, so please… just this once, let me go with you." She sniffled. "Besides, I don't think Lulu would listen to just a letter, not for something like this."

For a moment, just a moment, Lightning looked like she might refuse, but finally, she sighed and nodded. "Fine, Serah, if that's what you want." Her gaze sharpened. "But listen, if you're coming with us then you do what I say, when I say it, no questions asked." She glanced across the table at Snow. "You're coming too then, right?"

The big man grinned. "Someone's got to look after Serah while you go off and be a hero, sheriff."

"I'll hold you to that," Lightning said. "And you'd better hope that Serah comes through without a scratch, otherwise, you'll find yourself in some real trouble, Snow." She shifted her gaze to Quistis and Fujin. "How about you two?"

"Of course," Quistis said. "I'm not quite right yet, but I figure I'll be okay by the time we get there."

Fujin grinned. "GOING."

Lightning nodded and then looked over at Basch. "I'd like it if you could stay here." The blonde opened his mouth to reply, but she cut him off. "Bart's going to need a place to stay while he rests up and Ashelia's already offered. It'd be good if I had someone here that I could trust to look after him, and you're the best man for it." She glanced toward the sitting room. "Hope's going to want to go too, but I figure it'd be best to keep him out of a mess like this. I'll talk to him, make him see sense." She looked at Fang. "You have anything else to add?"

Fang sighed. There was something she and Vanille needed to do, some people they had to say their goodbyes to, just in case things didn't work out well. "Me and Vanille will meet you at the train station – we've got a couple of loose ends to tie up."

"Right then, see you tomorrow," Lightning said.

X X X

Fang and Vanille head back over to the boarding house after lunch and it didn't surprise Fang one bit when Lahna immediately whisked Vanille off to have a look at her. The older woman came back with a glower on her face and immediately got stuck into Fang.

"I can't believe you let something happen to little Vanille!" Lahna growled. "And I don't even want to know what kind of trouble you've gotten her into this time."

Little Vanille? Tell that to all the people that Vanille had either shot or blown up, Fang thought. They probably wouldn't think of her as being too little. "Look, it's not too bad and really, it wasn't my fault."

"Not your fault?" Lahna boomed as she shifted her grip on her purse to hold it like a club. "Why, I never…"

"That's about enough, Lahna," Sazh said softly and the suddenness of the interruption stopped Lahna dead in her tracks. It wasn't often Sazh cut in when she and Fang were fighting and that alone made her a little nervous. "Look, why don't you take Vanille and Dajh down to that sweet shop we saw on the corner. He's been pretty good all week and I figure he could use a treat. Vanille probably wouldn't mind something either."

"Okay," Lahna said slowly as she met her husband's gaze. Sazh was awfully serious all of a sudden. "All right then, let's go get some sweets, you two."

As Lahna led a cheering Dajh away with Vanille and Chirpy, Sazh turned the full weight of his attention to Fang. This wasn't Sazh the mechanic, the middle aged man who made a living fixing up sewing machines and the like. No, this was Sazh Katzroy, the bounty hunter, a man Fang hadn't seen in years and one of the only people in the world who had the power to make Fang back up a step or two.

"You're in trouble, aren't you, Fang?" Sazh asked softly. "Real trouble, the kind you're not even sure you'll come back from, aren't you?"

Fang nodded. She couldn't hide something like this from Sazh, not when he was like this. "It's about Cocoon, Sazh – you know what they did to Oerba. They're planning something like that again and there's no way that Vanille and I can just stand by and let that happen. Tomorrow… tomorrow morning, at six o'clock, we'll be heading off on a train to settle things." She looked down the street in the direction that Vanille had gone. "Look… no matter how things end up, I'll make sure that Vanille comes back okay. If… if something happens to me, I need to know that you'll look after her."

"You're a damn fool, Fang." Sazh chuckled softly. "You should know by now that you don't even have to ask about something like that. No matter what happens, I'll look after Vanile, you have my word on that."

"Thanks, Sazh, it sure means a lot." Fang grinned. "It can't be easy for a man your age to deal with all this trouble."

"Hey! I'm not that old!"

They spent the rest of day out and about Eden City having fun. If Lahna or Dajh suspected anything, they kept it to themselves, and for that, Fang was plenty glad. She didn't know if she'd come back, but she wanted to make sure that these people – her family – had at least one last good day together. That night, she went to sleep with a smile on her lips.

Dawn came sooner than Fang liked and she and Vanille headed off to the train station. It was tempting to look in Sazh and his family to get one last look at them, but Fang didn't want to make things harder than they already were.

"You're running a bit late," Lightning said when they got to the train station. "The train's just about to pull out."

Fang shrugged. "Don't worry, sunshine, we're here and that's all that matters." She handed her and Vanille's things to the sheriff and stepped onto the train. "Now how about we get settled in? It's a long trip and I could use a couple more hours of shut eye."

"Fair enough." Lightning's eyes narrowed and Fang turned and followed her gaze.

"Aw, hell," Fang muttered. "Lahna is going to kill me."

"You know that man?" Lightning asked as she pointed past Fang to the dark skinned man headed their way with his ticket clutched in one hand and a bag in the other.

"Know him?" Fang laughed. "You could say that."

"Hey," Sazh said as he came to a stop just in front of them, breathing heavily. "And here I was thinking I wouldn't make it in time."

"Damn it, Sazh, what are you doing here?" Fang asked. "You need to go back. You know what this is going to be like. You've got a family now and…" Her voice cracked and Fang looked away, keenly aware of how all of the others had moved out of the train carriage to have a look.

Sazh looked past her and waved at Vanille. "It looks like you've got some new friends, Fang." He handed his bag to Lightning and smiled. "Look, you're right, I've got a family." He looked at Vanille and then back at her. "And you two are a part of it and I'll be damned if I just let you two go without me." He smirked. "Besides, Lahna and Dajh – heck, even Chirpy – wouldn't be too pleased if something happened to either of you." He paused and then added, "Well, okay, maybe Lahna might not mind too much if I just brought back Vanille, but… well… you two are family and that's more than enough reason to go." He patted Fang on the back and stepped into the train carriage. "I might be getting on in years, but I'm still good for one last gunfight, especially if you two do most of the work." He grinned. "You were planning on doing most of the work, right?"

Fang swallowed thickly and stepped onto the train. "Damn it, you're a crazy old man." She threw her arms around Sazh. "But crazy or not, I'm glad you came along."

As Sazh got to introducing himself to everyone else, the train gave a lurch and with a loud whistle, began to pull away from the train station.

"Here," Lightning said as she sat down across from Fang. "This is from Hope."

Fang eyed the folded piece of paper warily. "How'd that talk of yours with him go?"

"Like you'd expect," Lightning said. "He wanted to come, but I told him it'd be best if he stayed there and looked after his folks." She smiled softly. "He doesn't need to come out of this any bloodier than he already is." She glanced down at the piece of paper. "You going to read that?"

"Should I?" Fang asked. "He didn't look too pleased the last time he saw me."

Lightning looked out the window and grinned. "Just read it."

Fang gave Lightning a curious look and unfolded the piece of paper. Reading it aloud, she had to bite back a laugh. "It says: Make sure you shoot Hojo for me, signed… Hope Estheim." She chuckled. "Well, I suppose I could manage that." She folded the piece of paper and slipped into her pocket. "Yep, I can definitely manage that."

X X X

**Author's Notes**

As always, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off this.

This chapter is a little calmer than the one that came before it. There are a couple of reasons for that. First of all, as awesome as it would be, I can't exactly have our intrepid heroes gunning down entire hordes of hired guns every single chapter. There just aren't that many hired guns in Eden City. Second, I wanted to set the stage a little. The big showdown is coming, and I needed to make sure that our heroes had a plan, or at least some semblance of one, before they headed off to deal with Cocoon.

I'll also say, that it was nice to be able to slip some more humour in. I enjoyed writing some of the darker stuff that popped up in the previous two chapters, but a bit of humour is always good to have around. That said, I also have to admit that it's awfully fun having Fang poke at Lightning, simply because of how nicely Lightning reacts to everything. Fang's just lucky that Lightning didn't actually hit her with a boot, because boots can be pretty painful to have thrown at you.

For people who were hoping that Hope could go with them, I'm sorry to disappoint. I have a soft spot for the guy, but in this story he doesn't have magical powers or anything and at his age, he just isn't going to be able to do too much when they go off to confront Cocoon. I also thought a while about whether or not to have Serah go along with them, but in the end, I decided that I wanted her to go along, for the reasons that Serah herself gave when she was arguing with Lightning. Having Sazh go along was a lot easier to go with, because even though he's retired, he's not exactly a slouch if it comes down to a gunfight. Besides, like he said, Fang and Vanille are his family and he's not about to let them head off without him (and Lahna would never forgive him if he did – even if she'd never admit that she doesn't actually hate Fang). The little bit at the end with Hope's note was something I thought would be nice to have. He hasn't forgiven Fang for what happened to his father, but he doesn't exactly hate her that much either, since she managed to get Bart back. His suggestion (i.e., that Fang shoot Hojo for him) is also something that Fang can definitely get behind.

Finally, for those who aren't aware of it, Lulu is from FF X, and Cid Kramer and Edea are from FF VIII.

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	27. Chapter 27

**The Train Job**

Lightning had to fight the urge to get up and pace. The others had been gone for quite a spell now and she was beginning to wonder just what new kind of mess they'd gotten themselves into. The lot of them had spent the last few days on the train headed west toward the Al Bhed and there was still another day, day and a half to go before they'd have to switch over to chocobos. Things had been going well so far, maybe a little too well, especially when she thought about just how badly everything else to do with Cocoon had gone.

Right now the train was pulled up at the station in some town with a name she couldn't remember to take on some more passengers and cargo. The others had decided to head into town to pick up a few more supplies and ask around, see if maybe anyone knew anything about Cocoon. It was a bit of a long shot, but any information they could snag might make a difference, and it certainly couldn't hurt to ask, so long as they were careful about it.

In the meantime, Lightning had chosen to stay at a small café tucked into the train station, along with Serah and Vanille. Cocoon knew that they were coming and it would be just their kind of thinking to leave a few people behind to try and slow them up, maybe even try and take them out before they got to the Al Bhed. Here, in the café, she could keep an eye on the train, as well as keep on the look out for any shifty looking folks who might be poking their noses into things. At least, that was the idea, but with Vanille and Serah around, she wasn't sure she'd be able to get too much of that done.

The problem was Vanille was doing her level best to teach Serah how to gamble. Well, maybe not gamble, but definitely how to play cards. Sure, Serah already knew a couple of games – there wasn't a person out West who didn't know a few to while away the days when it got too hot to go outside, or the rains turned the dusty plains into seas of mud – but Serah did not need to know all of the many variants of the games played in seedy saloons across the West. Maybe the only thing worse than that was that Serah was actually turning out to be pretty good, or at least better than Lightning had been on the trip so far. Vanille, that little card sneak, would already have cleaned Lightning out if they'd been playing for money. Luckily though, they'd only been playing for pride, and as much as hers had taken a beating, it was still a damn sight better than if they'd been playing for clothes like Fang had suggested. Never mind the fact that she was just a tad – and only just a tad – curious about how Fang might look under that shirt of hers, but there was absolutely no way she'd be letting a game of chance tell her whether or not she had to wander around half naked. Besides, knowing her luck, Fang would probably massacre her in a game of cards, anyway.

"You look a mite bored there Lightning," Vanille said. "You sure you're not up for a game or two?"

Lightning glanced down at the table where her sister and the red head had their cards set up. From the looks of things they were using bullets in place of money, and Vanille was actually a little behind. She wasn't sure what bothered her more – the fact that Vanille was losing, and to Serah, of all people, or the fact that they were using bullets instead of money. "I'm doing just fine," Lightning said. "Besides, someone needs to keep an eye on things in case there's trouble headed our way."

"I guess that makes sense." Vanille grinned. "But knowing us, I figure there's no question about troubling being headed our way."

Serah giggled softly and Lightning gave her a look. "Sorry, Lightning," Serah said as she played her next card. "It's just… Vanille's sort of right. We've all got a bit of a knack for trouble, especially you and Fang, so we probably should just assume that there's trouble headed for us."

Lightning scowled, but there was no real heat to it. "I suppose you're right about that." She took another quick look around. So far, she hadn't seen a thing out of place, just the usual lazy shuffle of passengers and cargo she'd expect in an out of the way town like this one. "Maybe I should be worried about the others then. That lot were supposed to ask around town and see if maybe Cocoon's been here, plus pick up some supplies, but I wouldn't be surprised if they started a fight or two along the way." Her lips curled up at the edges. "That seems like something of a specialty for people like Fang and Snow."

Serah paused for a moment in her game of cards with Vanille and gave Lightning a faint frown. "I'm sure Snow would do his best to steer clear of a fight, Lightning, even if he'd be mighty handy in one."

Lightning scoffed. "Serah, I'll have you know that the second time I met Snow, he was mixing things up in Midgar Town in a saloon." Her eyes narrowed. "And that's not all. Hope was with him and the two of them were making quite a ruckus. If I recall correctly, Hope was even knocking people down with bits of furniture."

"Really?" Serah almost dropped her cards in shock and Vanille took a quick peek at what cards Serah had. She mustn't have liked what she saw too much because she frowned and look back at her own hand in disgust.

"Yes, really," Lightning said. Sighing just a little, she glanced back at Serah, giving Vanille a sharp look along the way to let the red head know that she didn't take kindly to cheating, especially not again Serah. "I've been thinking, Serah, but how do you…" she trailed off, not wanting to actually say the words out loud.

"How do I what?" Serah asked as she played her next card. That prompted a muttered curse from Vanille along with the start of the next game as the red head gave up.

"How do you actually beat Vanille?" Lightning ground out, a light blush on her cheeks. With no trouble around, she just couldn't help herself. She hated losing and if she had to ask Serah how to win, she supposed she'd just have to live with it. Anything, really, to stop the red head making her look like a fool every time they got a game started.

"I never figured you'd go crying to your little sister for help, sheriff," Vanille said with a cheeky grin and if Lightning hadn't forced herself to clench her hands into fists right that moment, she'd have lunged across the table and throttled Vanille instead.

"You're treading dangerously there, Vanille," Lightning warned. As tempting as it might be to strangle Vanille, Fang probably wouldn't be too pleased with her if she did, and she had a feeling that Sazh wouldn't take too kindly to it either. The retired bounty hunter might look a little long in the tooth, but he was plenty dangerous, even if he did complain an awful lot about being too old for trouble.

"Be nice," Serah said primly as she gave Vanille her best Lightning look, which mustn't have worked too well, because the red head's grin only widened. Still, a part of her was awfully pleased that Lightning had come to her for help. Even if it was only over something as silly as cards, it was nice to be able to give Lightning a hand for once, instead of the other way around. "Well, Lightning, it's not really all that tricky once you get the hang of things. What you need to do is count the cards so that you know which ones have been played and which ones are still in the deck. Once you can do that, then it's all about working out whether or not they're likely to have something better than what you've got." She smiled. "It also helps to watch people too, you know, like their faces and they way they're acting."

"I know all of that," Lightning said. "Just… how are you so good at it?"

Serah flushed faintly. "Well, you weren't always exactly, um… open with how you were feeling, so I got a lot of practice growing up." Seeing Lightning's look of surprise, Serah realised just how poorly her words could be taken. "Um… I don't mean that you weren't really, really great to me, or anything, you just weren't… well… quite so… uh… open about your feelings and all that." She winced. "I'm making a real mess of this aren't I?"

"You sure are," Vanille said.

Lightning scowled at Vanille. "No… it's all right, I know what you mean, and I guess you're right."

"Don't you dare feel bad about how you are, Lightning," Serah said firmly. "You did the best you could for me and I'm right proud to have you as my sister." She paused. "I also might have played a lot of cards while I was learning teaching." Lightning's eyes widened. "Well, Ashelia liked to play a lot and she was always dragging Captain Basch into things and then there was Lulu, she liked to play too." She laughed a little nervously. "And I guess it kind of helps that Vanille has a couple of habits that she falls into when she plays."

"That so?" Lightning wasn't sure quite what to say. She'd never figured Ashelia for being big on cards, although if she was, she could understand Basch being dragged into the thick of things.

"You're pretty sharp to pick up on those habits of mine," Vanille said before she smirked. "But I could cut them out if I really wanted to." She shuffled the cards up for the next game with an ease that was almost frightening. "In fact, I just might have to if I want to beat you, Serah." She glanced at Lightning. "And speaking of those habits of mine, I'm surprised you haven't picked up on those, Lightning. I'd have thought you'd have a pretty keen eye for things like that." Her eyes twinkled. "But I guess I can't blame you, seeing as how those keen eyes of yours seem mighty interested in something else besides the cards."

"Like what?" Lightning asked flatly. She didn't like the gleam in Vanille's eyes one bit.

"Oh, I don't know," Vanille giggled. "Maybe Fang?"

"I am not eyeing Fang," Lightning growled. Or maybe she was, just a little, and only every now and then, and only because Fang insisted on leaning toward her the whole damn time they were playing cards and only because Fang wasn't exactly the kind of woman who could be ignored. It hadn't help Lightning's cause one bit that she could swear that Fang knew she was looking and had undone an extra button on her shirt just to make things worse.

"Whatever you say," Vanille teased. "You up for another game, Serah?"

Serah nodded and Lightning turned her attention away from the game and back to everything else around them. There wasn't more than maybe an hour to go before the train got going again, and passengers had started to drift back in, although there still wasn't any sign of their group. Knowing them though, they'd probably get back just in time, and with a slew of hired guns on their tail to boot. The train was also taking on the last of the extra coal and water if would need to finish off the journey and she kept a keen eye on things just in case anybody got it into their heads to use all the hustle and bustle to make some trouble.

She was just about to glance back at Serah and Vanille's game when someone caught her eye. There was a woman just standing there and even if Lightning hadn't been on the look out, she'd have pegged her as dangerous. The woman had dark red-brown hair that fell just past her shoulders and she wore a long coat that was almost that same shade. Beneath the coat, the woman had dark grey trousers with a lighter grey shirt. But what really drew Lightning's eye were the two sabres the woman carried, one sheathed on each hip. Not many people used sabres these days, and Lightning couldn't really remember the last time she'd seen someone with two. More than that, the woman moved with an easy grace and held herself with the kind of self-assured posture that left Lightning with no doubt that she absolutely knew how to use those sabres she carried. Just then the woman looked her way and their eyes met. A cold, knowing smile played across the woman's lips and for one long moment they stared each other down until a crowd of passengers cut in between them. When the crowd finally cleared, the woman was gone.

"You see something, Lightning?" Vanille asked. There was still a grin on her face as she played her next card, but when her eyes moved away from Serah, there was a hint of seriousness in them.

"Maybe," Lightning said. "There was a woman there just a second ago that seemed mighty interested in us." She shifted so that she had a better view of their surroundings. "I don't know for sure, but just keep your eyes open. I have a feeling that she's trouble."

But neither trouble, nor the woman turned up again and Lightning wasn't sure what to make of that. When she'd met that woman's eyes, she'd known, deep down in her gut that the other woman's interest wasn't the least bit friendly. That woman had recognised her and Vanille, she was sure of it, and the only reason someone might be on the look out for them was if they worked for Cocoon. Still, when the others got back a good half hour before the train was due to leave, there still hadn't been any sign of trouble.

"Anything interesting happen while we were gone?" Fang asked as the lot of them got settled back on the train. They were set up in a couple of booths in one of the better carriages. Each booth was made up of a group of seats facing each other with a fold out table that could be opened up in the middle.

"Just the one thing," Lightning said. "But I'll get to that in a second. Did you find out anything useful in town?"

Fang chuckled. "Now that you mention it, we were able to wrangle a few little bits of information out of a fellow or two down at the local saloon." Sazh choked back a laugh and Fang shot him a glare. "You got something to say, Sazh?"

Sazh grinned at Lightning. "What Fang means, sheriff, is that we may have jumped a fellow on his way out of the saloon after he mentioned Cocoon."

"That so?" Lightning scowled. They didn't need to make any more trouble for themselves, seeing as how they were in plenty enough as it was.

"I wouldn't say we jumped him," Fang said. "It's more that he ran into my fists a couple of times and well… he might have run into Fujin's boots a few times too, seeing as how he was real clumsy." Fang and Fujin shared a chuckle. "Anyway, it turns out that Cocoon passed this way not too long ago. Hojo had quite a few hired guns with him too, and it seems that he left a couple behind to try and give us trouble."

"If that's the case, then where are they?" Lightning asked. "We're about to head off and there's been no sign of them yet." She paused and frowned. "Although there was someone earlier who seemed mighty interested in us at the station. She's probably one of them."

Fang smirked and Lightning felt tempted to reach over and whack her upside the head. "You're quite the looker, sunshine, how do you know she wasn't all taken in by those sweet, womanly charms of yours."

Lightning's hand twitched and Serah gave her a knowing look. Fine, she might not be able to hit Fang just yet, but maybe after they'd dealt with all the trouble she could. "I don't think that was it. She knew who we were, Fang, I'm sure of it."

"Well, what did this woman look like?" Fang asked. Lightning gave her a quick description. "I can't say I know her," Fang said slowly, once Lightning had finished, "But she sounds a little like someone Reeve mentioned once."

"Oh?" Lightning's eyes narrowed a fraction. It would've been real nice to bring Reeve along given everything he knew, but short of knocking him out and trussing him up, there was no way they'd ever get him to go along with them.

"Hojo's got a lot of people who work for him. Reeve couldn't tell me all that much about most of them, but this woman you talked about sounds a little similar to one of the nastier ones he told me about." Fang shrugged. "Although the way I see it, just about anyone who works for Hojo has got to be a real piece of work, anyway." She pursed her lips. "You're right though, we probably are headed into trouble and now that I think about it, this place is likely as good a place as any."

"What do you mean by that?" Lightning asked. Although she'd seen a fair bit of the West as a sheriff, she'd never been out this way before and they were pretty much relying on Fang and Vanille to guide them.

Fang pointed out the window. "Just look out the window, sunshine. There's some pretty rugged terrain up ahead. Those hills we're about to head into were too tough to just blast through when they were laying the tracks, so once the trains get there, the track gets all tricky and the train has to slow down plenty just to get through there safely."

"Slow enough to get a decent shot at, I bet," Lightning said slowly. "And probably slow enough for someone to try and board, too, right?"

Fang grinned. "You got it, sunshine. I'd bet that woman of yours never turned up again because she had to ride out there and get the rest of her friends into position."

"I see." Lightning looked at Serah. "Serah, I don't want you sitting near the windows." She frowned. "Go sit by Snow." Seeing the soft smile on her sister's lips and the big grin on Snow's, she couldn't stop herself from adding, "If nothing else, he's big enough that they'll find it just about impossible to shoot around him and get you."

Vanille laughed and Serah gave Lightning a little smile. Over the trip, Serah had actually told Lightning that she thought Lightning was warming up to Snow. Frankly, Lightning didn't think too much of that idea, but Snow had proved that he was completely useless and she wasn't so petty that she'd deny that. Besides, she meant what she said. Snow would do a lot better than her as a human shield, and she knew he'd have no problems getting between Serah and a few bullets.

"Well," Vanille said as the train gave a few harsh whistles. "Since we're about to get moving and there really isn't all that much else we can do, who's up for a game of cards?"

X X X

Lightning made a disgusted sound as Vanille won yet another game. Damn it, the red head really was good. Right now, the game was her, Fang, Vanille, and Fujin, and only the marshal seemed to be having much luck against the little bandit.

"You know," Fang drawled. "You don't have to feel so bad about losing, sunshine."

"What makes you say that?" Lightning ignored the chuckle that came from Quistis as Fujin leaned over to show the other woman her cards. 

"Vanille's probably just about the best card player in the West." Fang pulled Vanille into a playful sort of headlock. "When Vanille and I weren't too busy emptying Cocoon's pockets of its ill gotten gains, she was busy emptying the pockets of pretty much every cut throat, hired gun, and stockman in the West. Hell, how do you think Vanille affords all that stuff she uses to make explosives? Those chemicals aren't cheap and you've seen how many explosives she goes through whenever there's fighting to be done."

"Thing is, winning at cards isn't half as much fun as robbing Cocoon blind." Vanille paused for a second. "Well, except for the odd saloon fight. Those can be pretty fun and Fang loves getting a good punch or two in."

"I just bet she does," Lightning muttered as they got the next game set up. As Vanille shuffled the cards, she took a quick glance out the window and frowned. The open, rolling plains had given way to some pretty densely wooded hills. The train had already had to slow down a fair bit to negotiate some of the trickier twists and turns and the trees made it hard to see too much of anything. It was just about perfect for an ambush and maybe the only thing they had going their way was that it was only an hour or so past midday. At least when the ambush did come, they'd be able to see what they were shooting at.

"What can I say," Fang said. "I happen to like a good scrap every now and then, it keeps me from getting rusty." She rubbed her jaw and smirked at Lightning. "And so does sunshine there, if I remember right."

Lightning scowled. "I can't say I like getting into a scrap too much, you just seem to deserve a good punch to the jaw more than most."

"Just admit it, sunshine, I get to you." Fang glanced over at Vanille. "Now, how about we change the stakes a little? Maybe –"

"We are not playing for clothing." Lightning glared at Fang and even Vanille had the good sense to edge away from the other woman just a fraction. Honestly, Fang really should have learned by now that there was absolutely no chance that they would ever be wagering clothing. "And wipe that silly grin off your face, Fang, you haven't exactly been doing too well yourself today."

Fang's grin only widened. "Well, maybe I just need the proper incentive to do well." Very slowly and very deliberately, she let her gaze drop below Lightning's face and she was hard pressed not to laugh when she spotted Lighting's eye twitch. "The fact is, I'm quite the player when I've got something worth playing for."

Aware that all of the others were, once again, having a great deal of fun at her expense, she turned her gaze away from Fang and back out the window. It was lucky that she did. From just behind one of the trees, she saw the glint of something metal and as the train drew closer to it, she realised what it was.

It was the barrel of a rifle.

"Get down!" Lightning shouted as she shoved the fold up table out of the way and dove for the ground. Along the way, she grabbed Fang and Vanille, and looked around to make sure that Snow had gotten Serah safely behind him.

An instant later, the window closest to them came apart in a shower of glass. Screams filled the air as the roar of the shot died away, but they were swamped almost instantly as more gunfire poured into the carriage.

"Damn it," Fang growled as she ducked beneath the windowsill and brushed bits of glass off her coat. "They don't do things halfway do they?"

"No, I guess they don't," Lightning replied as she took a quick look around the carriage. The gunfire still hadn't let up and there wasn't a window in the carriage that hadn't been blown in. Bits of glass were everywhere and not far from her there was a passenger doubled over, a great blotch of red already visible just above his belt. He wasn't the only one injured either. Others had cut themselves on the glass or had hurt themselves in the mad dash for cover, and she was pretty sure that the five or six people lying sprawled on the ground riddled with bullets were dead. Her jaw clenched. It was bad enough that Cocoon was trying to kill them, but the fact that they'd go this far, gun down so many people who weren't involved, only filled her with cold fury. They were going to pay, all right, she'd see to that herself. "Quistis," she shouted over the gunfire. "Can you see anything?"

Quistis was the one furthest from the side where the shooters were and so she had a better chance of seeing what was going on. "They're all holed up behind those trees on the hill." She ducked quickly as a bullet raced over her head. "There's at least ten of them, maybe more and…"

"What?" Lightning growled.

"Some of them are headed this way, some on chocobos, others on foot. It looks like they're going to try and board the train." Quistis cursed. "If they get on, that'll make things real tricky for us."

Lightning nodded. The train was going awfully slow right now, but the train driver would probably speed up now that they'd come under fire. Still, the hired guns would have more than enough time to hop on the train and given the winding nature of the tracks, the train was probably going to circle around the other side of the hill, which would give the hired guns another chance to either board the train or take them out from the top of the hill.

"All right," Lightning said. "Here's how we're going to do things. Sazh, Vanille, I want you two to head back toward the end of the train and give those hired guns trying to hop on board something to think about." She looked at Fang. "Fang, I want you to head over to the train driver. Those hired guns might go after him and if they get him then we'll be in all kinds of trouble."

Fang nodded. "Sounds good. What about you sunshine?"

Lightning drew her pistols. "I'll be here with Quistis and Fujin. We need to take out those hired guns on the hill, otherwise, they'll just keep shooting and if that happens, they're bound to hit one of us eventually." She scowled. "And knowing our luck, there'll be more of them on the hills ahead too."

"What about me?" Snow asked. The big man looked a little nervous at the thought of shooting and with all the bullets flying everywhere and people screaming, Lightning couldn't really find it in her to blame him.

"You?" Lightning sighed. "You and Serah stay here and keep together. Either of you see a shot, you take it, but make sure you keep my sister out of trouble, you hear me?"

Snow gulped and pulled Serah closer, the two of them crouched behind a chair. "Sure thing."

"Good," Lightning said as she pushed herself to her feet and pointed both pistols out the window. "Now enough talk, it's time to get shooting."

As Lightning blazed away with both barrels, less concerned with actually hitting anyone than she was with giving the others some covering fire, she saw Fang flash her a jaunty grin before the other woman headed for the doors of the carriage that would take her up toward the front. A moment later, Vanille and Sazh made a break for it too, both of them headed toward the back of the train. With those three safely to the doors, Lightning slowed her shots a little to try and pick off a few of the hired guns. It wouldn't be easy though, not with the train still moving and lurching about, albeit slowly, and not with the hired guns up on the top of that hill a fair distance away.

Even with all the problems, Lightning managed to hit one of the hired guns with her second shot. The bullet hit the hired gun just below his collar and he jerked backward and began to roll down the hill. However, the other hired guns weren't about to just let her stand there and pick her shots. A fresh round of gunfire forced her back down behind some cover and as she snuck a glimpse over the windowsill, she saw that a fair number of them had begun to move down the hill to take advantage of the train's slow speed and get some shots in from a closer range.

Well, she could probably leave the closer ones to Sazh and Vanille, but the ones up on the hill were starting to get real troublesome. Unfortunately, her pistols weren't too suited for this kind of shooting, and she'd need to save the bullets in case they did manage to get on the train.

"Quistis," Lightning shouted. "Can you get me my rifle?"

The blonde nodded and tossed the weapon over to Lightning. Before they'd set off from Eden City, they'd been more than happy to accept some extra weapons from Basch and Ashelia and while Lightning and Fujin had opted to take rifles, Quistis had opted for a shotgun. Sadly though, a shotgun wouldn't be much use at long range, but Quistis was damn good with a pistol and she managed to drop another two hired guns before she had to get back behind a shot up chair and reload.

"I'll pick them off, Quistis," Lightning said as she brought her rifle up to her shoulder and let the barrel rest on the windowsill, taking a moment or two to knock what little remained of the window's glass out of the way. "Just give me some covering fire."

Quistis nodded and Lightning peered down the length of the barrel of her rifle. For just a second, the whole world faded away and Lightning's entire universe narrowed down to what was in her rifle's sights. A hired gun looked back at her, his rifle aimed squarely at her chest, and she waited a heartbeat to steady her aim and then squeezed the trigger.

They fired almost together and Lightning heard Serah gasp as something whipped past her head, so close that the wind of its passage swept her hat off her head. At almost the same time though, the hired gun cried out as the impact of her shot tore the rifle from his hands and tossed back into the tree behind him. He lay there, sprawled at the base of the tree, his chest one big mass of red.

"NICE," Fujin said as she brought her own rifle up. The silver haired woman fired and Lightning watched another hired gun take a hit just above the middle of his chest and go down.

Lightning managed to get three more shots off before the train rounded the side of the hill to give them a quick break in the action. As she reloaded her rifle, Lighting took a glance around the carriage. Most of the passengers had caught on and were huddled on the ground and out of sight of the windows, which was good. All of them though, were looking at her and the others in the group with a mix of shock and amazement.

"Stay down," Lightning warned as she struggled to get a believable story together. "Those men up on that hill are bandits looking to rob this train. Keep out of the way and we'll see to them."

The train rounded the side of the hill and Lightning bit her lip. Why hadn't the train sped up yet? Right now, they were sitting ducks and it wouldn't be too long before they were back in the hired guns' sites. Worse, she was pretty sure that a few of those hired guns had managed to board the train.

"Come on, Fang" she murmured. "Get to the driver."

X X X

Fang scowled as she shoved past yet another terrified passenger. It wasn't that she blamed them too much for being scared. Certainly, having bullets flying everywhere was sure to make just about any scared unless they were either in the business of keeping the law, or breaking it. Still, that didn't mean people had to run around screaming and carrying on. Not only did that make it harder for her to get past them, it also made them a lot more likely to get hit in the cross fire, especially since some of the hired guns up on the hill seemed to have noticed her and were now doing their level best to fill her with holes.

"Get down!" Fang growled before she grabbed the man shoving at her and pushed him to the floor. He cursed, but stopped dead in his tracks when a bullet whizzed through the air just over his head. "Now, look, you can either run around screaming and get your head blown off, or you can stay down. So damn it," Fang said. "Stay down."

For good measure, she shot him a glare and then pressed onward. The front of the train where the driver was set up was only one more passenger carriage away, but the fact that they still hadn't sped up made her mighty suspicious. It wasn't that unlikely that the hired guns had some people on the train with the passengers and the driver, and if that were the case, then she'd have to deal with them first.

She stopped just shy of the door to the next carriage and used the doorframe for cover as she dropped down to her knees and looked under the door. There was a gap there just big enough for her to make out the shadow of someone in front of it. Combined with the fact that she couldn't really hear anyone making any noise on the other side, she figured that there were probably at least a few hired guns there to make sure no one got to the driver. As she stood up, she smirked. Time to get to work.

With a big grin on her face, she took several steps back and then leapt forward to deliver a huge kick to the door. The blow knocked the door right off its hinges and she heard the hired gun curse wildly before he went down under it. For a moment, the rest of the carriage just stared and she seized the chance to take a quick look around. There were five hired guns in the carriage, two of them in the aisle in front of her and another three by the door to the driver.

Almost as one, the hired guns turned their guns on her, but she beat them to the draw. Both of her guns came up and she fired quickly, glad that the passengers were too stunned to even think of moving. Her first shots took out the two in the aisle along with one of the hired guns by the door, but then she had to high tail it out of the carriage as the other two returned fire. Funnily enough, the hired gun under the door was still conscious, because he'd cursed again as she stepped on the door to get to cover.

She waited a few seconds for the gunfire to stop before she quickly peeked out and squeezed off a round. Her shot hit one of the hired guns in the chest and she waited for the heavy thump of a body hitting the ground before she peered out from cover again and dropped the second hired gun. With both of them out of the way, she fired a shot through the door she'd kicked down and headed for the door to the driver. As she was about to open it, she stopped. The chances were that there was another hired gun with the driver and if she just walked in there, she'd end up with a bullet in her. Standing beside the door, she reached over and opened it. At least this way, if there were someone there, he'd end up shooting nothing but air.

Just like she'd expected, the moment the door was open, there was a hail of bullets. However, quite unlike she'd expected, the bullets came to an abrupt end as a loud clang filled the air. A moment later, the body of the hired gun flew through the door. What in blazes?

Slowly, Fang inched around and glanced inside the door. A sudden blur of movement had her ducking and she dropped to the ground just in time to dodge a shovel that would have taken her head off. Still on the ground, she brought her pistol up.

"Hold it right there!" Fang growled. "What do you think you're doing?"

The shovel stopped and Fang finally got a good look at the person who'd almost taken her head off. He had a slightly scruffy look to him and his blonde hair stood up just a little at the front. There were a pair of goggles on his forehead too and she could tell that he was pretty solidly built beneath the blue overall he wore.

"You another one of those bandits?" the man growled. "Cause if you are, I'll deal with you just like I dealt with that other man."

Fang glanced past the blonde. Behind him was a mousy looking sort of brunette woman with glasses. She lowered her gun. "Look, I'm not with them, if that's what you're worried about. In fact, I'm just here to make sure that you keep this train going, maybe even get it going a little faster so that we can get out of this mess."

The man searched her eyes for a moment and then reached down to haul her up. "The name's Cid," he said before he pointed back at the woman. "And that's Shera. The two of us do the driving." He lifted his shovel. "Shera's not too big though, so I end up doing most of the shovelling when the engine needs more coal. She's a good engineer though, one of the best there is."

"Nice to me you Cid, Shera." Fang inclined her head. "I'm Fang. Now, I don't suppose we could speed up a little? As you might've noticed, there are a lot of people out there trying to riddle this bag of bolts with bullets."

"Don't you call my train a bag of bolts!" Cid growled as he brandished his shovel.

Fang grimaced. It was a pretty big shovel and she already knew that Cid could use it pretty well too. It was just like that time she'd insulted Vanille about her explosives. "Look, forget I said that. Can you go faster or not?"

Cid grinned. "Don't you worry about a thing. Without that fool pointing a gun at me and Shera, we can really put on some steam." He glanced back at Shera. "Come on, Shera, we need to get things set up so we can put on some speed." He pursed his lips. "Still, it'll be tricky with the terrain being what it is. We can't go too fast, otherwise we'll end up jumping the rails."

"Just do what you can," Fang said. "Show me just what this bag of bolts can do." She looked out the window and rolled her eyes. Just perfect, some of the hired guns were on chocobos and were headed their way. She leaned out the window and fired a few times. Her shots dropped one hired gun and forced the others to veer away. "Mind hurrying it up a little? There are more of them headed this way."

X X X

Sazh gave Vanille a stern look. "Now, Vanille, I know for a fact that you've got explosives on you, but you've got to promise me you won't be using any of them."

Vanille pouted. "Come on, Sazh, just a couple wouldn't hurt."

The dark-skinned man spluttered for a moment. "Wouldn't hurt? We're on a train, Vanille. Just one of those things would probably blow the train in half and while I know that's something you and Fang have done before, I don't think that'd be such a good idea today. Besides, if you blow this train in half, we'll have to walk the rest of the way and there's no way I'm doing that."

Vanille giggled and gave her shotgun a quick look to make sure it was ready. "Fine, fine." She grinned at Sazh. "Just make sure you can keep up, old man."

Sazh scowled. "I get enough of that from Fang, I don't need it from you too." He gestured toward the door to the next carriage. "You ready?"

Vanille nodded and took the lead. With a shotgun it was probably best for her to be up front and to be honest, given how trigger-happy she could be, Sazh wasn't too keen to be in front of her. They got the door open and Sazh took a look around. There were frightened passengers huddled everywhere, but there didn't seem to be any sign of the hired guns. Where were they?

As if they'd heard what he was thinking, the door at the opposite end of the carriage burst open and a hired gun rushed in. He saw them right away and rushed to get his gun up, but Vanille was ready for him. The shotgun roared and the hired gun flew back into the group behind him. A few more hired guns stumbled past and Vanille fired again, the shotgun as loud as thunder in the confines of the carriage.

"Cover me, Sazh!" Vanille shouted as she dropped back behind a chair to reload.

"Just hurry up," Sazh said as he stepped forward, both guns at the ready.

The hired guns had picked themselves up off the ground and Sazh fired quickly, glad that he'd kept reasonably in practice over the years. Two of the hired guns reeled backward, their chest stained red, but more of them came through the narrow door, and Sazh muttered a curse as gunfire forced him back behind a chair for cover.

"There's an awful lot of them," Vanille said. "Might be tricky if we don't do something soon."

Sazh reloaded his pistols. "I'll go grab their attention, how about you charge them with that shotgun of yours?"

Vanille chuckled. "That sounds like fun."

Sazh shook his head slowly. Hopefully Dajh would turn out okay, because when it came to Fang and Vanille, he'd raised two pretty crazy people. With one last look at Vanille, he pushed out from behind the chair and opened fire on the hired guns. Bullets filled the air around him and he muttered a curse as a couple put holes in his coat. Damn it, Lahna had made quite a fuss about how nice he looked in this coat and now that he'd managed to put a couple of holes in it, she was going to kill him.

As the shooting continued, Vanille leapt out into the open and charged toward the door. She waited until she was right on top of the hired guns, so close that Sazh was sure that the hired gun she was aiming at could see every scratch on the barrel of the shotgun, before she fired. The hired guns reeled away, the man she'd hit airborne, before she lined up her next shot and fired again. Shotgun empty for the moment, Vanille dropped it and went for her pistols. She fired quickly, too close to miss, and Sazh rushed over to add his own gunfire to the mix.

"Well, that's those guys taken care of," Sazh said as the two of them stepped into the next carriage. "What now?"

The answer came a moment later as several windows burst open and hired guns leapt into the carriage. As if that weren't bad enough, the carriage door that people boarded the train through burst open too and more hired guns filed in.

"I just had to ask, didn't I?" Sazh muttered as Vanille giggled and brought her shotgun up. "I just had to ask."

X X X

Lightning growled as the hail of bullets stopped only for several hired guns to pull up alongside in chocobos and either leap in through the windows or through the doors of the carriage that were for boarding the train. Never mind the hired guns up on the hill, they'd have their work cut out for them with the hired guns in the carriage.

The hired gun closest to Lightning fired and Lightning flinched away as the shot came a little too close for comfort. In fact, she thought as she reached down to touch the collar of her coat, another inch or two more and she'd have had a hole in her neck, a pretty big one too. Eyes narrowed, she fired back and her shot hit the man the stomach before a second hit him in the chest and put him down for good. Behind her, she could hear Quistis and Fujin firing too, but the hired guns were getting too close for gunplay now, which meant they'd have little choice but to settle things the old fashioned way.

As one hired gun lunged forward at her, Lightning ducked under his punch and then landed a punch to the gut that doubled him over. As he struggled to breathe, she grabbed him by the back of his shirt and shoved him toward the window. He hit the windowsill with a cry and then tipped out the window, his scream of horror drowned out as the train gave several loud whistles and finally began to pick up speed. Good, she thought, Fang must have reached the train driver in one piece.

Another man lunged at her and Lightning landed a solid kick to his chest that knocked him toward Snow and Serah. For a moment, she felt a stab of worry, but she shouldn't have. Now that the fight was all about fisticuffs, Snow was not only ready, he was confident about throwing himself into the thick of things. He grabbed the man and, easy as could be, hurled him several yards away through the nearest window. It was, Lightning thought grudgingly, not something she could have done, especially that easily.

And it was a good thing too that Snow was ready to mix it up, because the hired guns seemed to have realised that Lightning, Quistis, and Fujin could handle themselves plenty well. So, rather than go after them, they went after Serah instead. The younger Farron sidestepped the first of them neatly and stuck her foot out. He tripped and hit the ground headfirst and was out cold before anyone could quite believe what had happened.

"NOT BAD," Fujin said.

"Um… I didn't mean to," Serah said.

That was all the hired guns needed to hear to charge right after her, but Snow was already in motion. He grabbed the first man and flung him into the wall. A second leapt at him, but Snow just swatted him out of the air with one big fist, and the hired gun crashed to the ground already unconscious. More of the hired guns closed in, but Snow was careful to keep himself between them and Serah.

"He's not bad," Quistis remarked as she and Lighting ended up back to back. A few yards off, Fujin leapt into a kick that knocked one hired gun off his feet. She landed gracefully, and twisted into a low sweep that tripped up another hired gun.

Lightning blocked a punch and deck the hired gun with a solid right to the jaw. "I suppose he's not too bad." Suddenly she stopped and looked up. Unless she was mistaken, she'd just heard footsteps up on the roof. But what would they be doing on the roof unless they were…

The sound of gunfire filled the air along with the sound of mangled metal as bullets rained down on them through the roof of the carriage. Several of the hired guns were caught in the attack and went down. Thankfully, Snow had managed to get Serah toward the door of the carriage and Lightning gave him a stern look.

"Get her out of here," Lightning said. "Fang should be up with the train driver, so you should be safe if you can get there." She winced as another bullet skimmed her leg. "Quistis, Fujin, you two stay here and deal with things. I'm going to go deal with the ones up top."

Not waiting to see if her orders had been followed, Lightning darted over to the window and leaned out. She hopped up onto the windowsill and turned and from there she was able to grab hold of the edge of the roof and pull herself up. Her sudden arrival caught the hired guns up there off guard and she managed to knock two of them off the train before the others realised what had happened.

The train lurched beneath her and she realised that the train had really begun to put on some speed. A quick glance over her shoulder told her why: there were still a few more twists and turns up ahead, but past that, the tracks straightened out into a bridge over a wide, fast flowing river. Turning her eyes back to the hired guns, she went for her pistols. She hadn't had time to fully reload them amidst all the chaos in the carriage, but she'd just have to make do.

As she rushed forward, the hired guns fired, but she was ready and she ducked beneath the first salvo. She returned fire as she rose, dropping three of them before her guns clicked empty. With not time to reload, she settled for just shoving the next one off the train before the train whipped around a corner with enough speed to almost throw all of them off their feet. Quickly, she scrambled to her feet and a kick to the chin knocked another hired gun off the train before the next swung a huge, haymaker of a punch at her head. She was just a little too slow to get out of the way, but she was able to get her shoulder up in time to take most of the force. Still, she nearly fell off the roof as she stumbled, and the hired gun charged forward to take advantage. Rather than try and meet him head on, she stepped to the side and used the momentum of his charge to fling him over her hip and off the train.

"You're not half bad." The words came from the last hired gun, the woman she'd seen back at the train station. Her red-brown hair whipped back and forth in the wind and she had a pistol out and trained squarely on Lightning's chest. "Then again, after seeing what happened to Hojo and his house after you and your little group went after that friend of yours, I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised."

"Who are you?" Lightning asked as she took a slow step to the side. The other woman was holding her gun almost carelessly, but Lightning didn't let that fool her. Whoever, this woman was, Lightning would bet that if she so much as twitched wrong, she'd end up with a bullet in her.

The woman grinned in a way that Lightning couldn't help but find unsettling. It was the look of someone just teetering on the brink of madness. "The name's Rosso, sheriff, although most people like to call me Crimson."

"Why's that?" Lightning asked. She needed to play for time and hope that Rosso screwed up.

"I'm glad you asked." Lightning's eyes widened as Rosso holstered her gun. "See, the reason they call me Rosso is because I have a habit of just, shall we say, messing up the people I kill." She reached down for the sabres at her side and drew both of them. "See, guns are nice and all, but nothing really stacks up to just slicing people up yourself." She shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a hands on kind of person."

Lightning's hand went to her waist and she drew the knife she always carried. It was gift from Serah and while it wasn't all that big, it was definitely sturdy, and it was a whole lot better than going up against two sabres bare handed. "That so?"

Rosso smiled and levelled one of her sabres at Lightning's chest. "You know, it took me a while to settle on using my sabres. I mean there are lots of other ways to kill you that are plenty hands on too. I thought about strangling you, garrotting you, hell even just beating you to death, but in the end, I figured that sabres would be best, seeing as how I could take my time a little, really get to know you before finish you off." She laughed and her big red coat flapped in the wind. "I hope you're ready, because I've been looking forward to this."

And then she moved.

Lightning's eyes widened. Rosso was fast, real fast. One sabre whipped down and Lighting only just managed to get back in time. Rosso followed her and the second sabred swept toward Lightning from the side. At the last moment, she managed to get her survival knife up and sparks flew as the sabre skittered off the knife and over Lightning's head. But before Lightning could even think of striking back, Rosso's other sabre was in motion, this time aimed straight at her heart.

"You're mighty fast," Rosso drawled as Lightning backed away, a thin cut on her shirt. "Then again, Hojo said they called you 'Lightning'." She spun one sabre lazily and then rushed forward again. "This is turning out to be real fun."

Lightning had often heard that she wouldn't know what fun was if it came up and punched her in the face, but she was dead certain this wasn't fun. Rosso might be all kinds of messed up if the gleam in her eyes and the smile on her lips was anything to go by, but she was also damn good with those sabres. As much as Lightning tried, she just couldn't find a gap and she found herself giving more and more ground as Rosso's lashed out again and again.

"That's it," Rosso taunted. "You're doing well to last this long, but then again, that's what makes this fun."

Lightning cursed as one of the sabres nearly cut off her arm. However, the next strike went just wide enough for Lightning for her to sneak inside Rosso's guard and strike out at the other woman with her knife. Rosso flinched away, but as they parted, the other woman struck. Lightning scowled. Rather than cutting deeply into Rosso's chest, her knife had only managed to score a thin cut along the other woman's arm. To make things worse, that last strike of Rosso's had actually managed to hit and while the cut in Lightning's side wasn't deep, she could already feel it begin to sting.

"Well, well, well," Rosso drawled as she ran her eyes along the cut on her arm. "You're even better than I thought." She chuckled. "Maybe it's time I stopped holding back on you then."

This time, when Rosso attacked, Lightning had no time at all to think. Every blow, every strike, every move was executed with lethal speed and deadly intent. It wasn't long either before the task of trying to parry or block Rosso's blows with her knife made Lightning's arm ache. If she'd had a sabre of her own, things might be different, but as it was, Rosso had the upper hand and it didn't help one bit that Rosso was being careful to keep out of Lightning's range. Crazy she might be, but Rosso sure knew how to handle herself.

Abruptly, the train reached the bridge and they both had to steady themselves as it began to pick up more speed, the sound of the river drowned out by the roar of the train as it rattled over the tracks. Even so, Lightning couldn't help but notice the way the waters of the river churned almost a hundred feet below. A fall from this weight could easily be fatal.

"Like the view?" Rosso taunted as she lifted her sabres again. "How about we finish things?" She darted forward again only to stop short as a bullet streaked through the air over Lightning's shoulder and nearly took her head off.

"I'm afraid you'll have to find someone else to pick on," Fang drawled. "Because this one's mine."

Whatever relief Lightning might have felt at Fang's arrival vanished as the other woman wrapped one arm around her waist.

"We finished up downstairs, sunshine, and I thought I might come give you a hand up here." Fang smirked and tightened her hold on Lightning. "I'm glad I did too, because she looks more than a little crazy." She waved the gun at Rosso. "Mind dropping those sabres of yours? I've got a couple of questions to ask you and I'm sure Lightning does too." She chuckled softly before adding in a teasing tone, "Although I'd be worried about Lightning's questions – her fists tend to do a lot of the talking."

Rosso scowled but made no move to drop her sabres. "You're looking awfully confident for someone who just barged in on things."

Fang smirked. "And you're just lucky sunshine here didn't have something bigger than that knife of hers, otherwise you'd be missing a limb or two." Her smile vanished. "Now put down those sabres, or I'll put you down myself."

Rosso's eyes narrowed and quick as flash she flung both her sabres at Fang and Lightning. Fang cursed and fired as Lightning grabbed her and threw both of them flat against the roof of the train. The sabres whistled through the air over their heads and they looked up just in time to see Rosso leap off the train and plunge into the river far below. As they got back to their feet, Lightning could just make out a head of red-brown hair as Rosso clawed to the surface of the river.

"You know, sunshine, we always seem to run into the strangest people," Fang said.

Lightning grabbed Fang by the collar. "Why didn't you just shoot her?"

"We needed her for questioning, and before you ask me why I didn't just shoot her in the leg, you know as well as I do that she might have tripped and fallen off the train if I did that." Fang sighed. "Not that I didn't want to shoot her." Her gaze dropped to the cut in Lightning's side. "Especially since she did that to you."

Lightning flushed a little at the warmth in Fang's voice and eyes. "By the way," she said softly. "Thank you for showing up, I appreciate it."

Fang shrugged. "You'd have handled it yourself if you'd had something better than that knife of yours. Besides, it's not like I could have done any better in your shoes, and I know you'd have done the same for me." She paused. "Only you probably would have just shot her, I suppose."

Lightning smiled faintly. "I probably would have."

"Now, if you really want to thank me," Fang said as she reached for Lightning's shirt and got to work on the buttons "You'll let me take a look at that wound of yours."

X X X

Inside the train carriage, Serah sent a worried look up at the ceiling. "Do you think they're all right?"

Vanille was about to reply when Lightning's voice came in through the bullet holes in the ceiling.

"Fang!" Lightning roared before they heard the sound of cloth being cut.

"Hey, back off there, sunshine, no need to get all violent with that knife of yours," Fang said. "I was just taking a look at that wound of yours."

As the shouts above them continued, Vanille turned back to Serah with a smile. "Yep, I'd say they're just fine."

X X X

**Author's Notes**

As always, I neither own Final Fantasy nor am I making a dime off this.

Well, you didn't think they'd get to the Al Bhed without at least a little bit of trouble, did you? This chapter was a fun one to write, because I've pretty much been waiting to write something involving a train and lots of guns. Sure, Fang and Vanille might've blown up a train and everything, but I didn't actually get a chance to write that particular scene out.

The choice of Rosso the Crimson as the leader of the hired guns wasn't one I had to think about too much. She's got links with Hojo (see Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus) and she's also suitably villainous in her own right. Although she had a double bladed weapon in FF VII: DoC, I just don't think that'd be too appropriate in a more Western setting so I decided to give her two sabres instead. It's not exactly the same, but if slicing and dicing is your thing (and it most certainly is Rosso's thing), then it's probably close enough.

I also couldn't resist adding the bit at the end, with Fang acting suitably heroic and then messing it up by wanting to take just a little too close of a look at Lightning's wound. Of course, you can't exactly blame the woman for trying, now can you? Fang's just lucky that Lightning didn't slug her, or she might've ended up in the river with Rosso. The idea of Vanille being good at cards was also one that I've been waiting to toss in, because I think it just suits her. Once I had that in place, I couldn't resist a couple of jibes at Lightning's expense either.

For those who don't know, Cid Highwind and Shera are from FF VII. I couldn't exactly get them a rocket or an airship, but I did manage to get them a train. Not quite the same, but I figured it would be a little strange if they had a rocket, given the Western setting and everything.

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	28. Chapter 28

**Wish Upon a Star**

Fang checked the saddle on her chocobo one more time and then nodded in satisfaction. It was just going on noon and now that they'd gone as far as the train would take them, it was time to switch over to chocobos for the rest of the journey to the Al Bhed. After the not so little shoot out on the train, there hadn't been any more trouble but she wasn't quite sure what to make of that. It could be that Cocoon had finally started to run out of hired guns to throw their way – they'd certainly killed enough to make that seem pretty reasonable. But, it could also be that Cocoon was setting a trap for them, gathering all of the people they had left to put up a real big fight near the Al Bhed. That was probably the way of things and Fang could only hope that she and the others had what it took to see things through.

"Well, I'm just about ready," Fang said as she turned to see how the others were doing with their chocobos. "How about the rest of you?"

Lightning made a disgusted sound and pointed at the rest of the group. "Do they look ready?" she asked. "The way things are going, the ride over to the Al Bhed is going to be mighty interesting."

Fang followed Lightning's gaze and swallowed a chuckle. Somehow, Serah had ended up with a real mean looking big grey chocobo. The bird's eyes were narrowed and it was eyeing her a lot like she was lunch. To her credit though, Serah was standing her ground, but it didn't take much thinking to realise that in any kind of fight, the chocobo would definitely come out on top.

Not too far off from Serah, Vanille was pretty much the opposite. She had her own chocobo just about eating out of the palm of her hand, the two of them already as thick as thieves. Fujin and Quistis were all right too, which didn't surprise Fang all that much. As marshals, they probably did a fair bit of riding and Fujin could glare well enough with that one eye of hers to scare any chocobo into behaving.

And then there were Sazh and Snow…

Sazh was eyeing his chocobo pretty cagily and Fang was sorely tempted to go over and whack both bird and man over the head. It had been quite a while since Sazh had ridden a chocobo that wasn't his and she'd almost forgotten just how aggravating that could be. The problem was that most chocobos didn't like him too much, and from the looks of things, the chocobo he had now wasn't any different. With a sigh, she strolled over and grabbed Sazh by the scruff of his coat. Before either he or the chocobo could even think of moving, she lifted Sazh up and practically threw him onto the chocobo. The bird gave an outraged squawk, but before it could try to buck Sazh off, Fang reached down and grabbed it by the chin.

"You listen here," Fang said with a toothy smile. "We really need to get going, so I'm going to have to ask you to play nicely with Sazh here. If you do, we'll get along just fine. If you don't… well, you might end up being dinner."

"Uh, Fang," Vanille said as she reached over to pat Fang on the shoulder. "You do know that chocobos can't actually understand what we're saying, right? I mean they can learn a few words, but most of the time, it's the tone of voice they listen to."

Fang grinned evilly at Sazh's chocobo, which had begun to look a little terrified. "Maybe, but I think this one here understands me just fine." She patted the chocobo on the head. "Isn't that right?" The chocobo nodded and Fang let loose a chuckle. Now that was done with, there was just Snow to worry about. "Snow… you need to get a bigger chocobo. For crying out loud, that thing is smaller than you are."

Snow smiled sheepishly and then trotted over to switch chocobos with Serah. She didn't blame him too much for wanting the smaller chocobo. It had been right friendly and just ambled over to him as soon as he'd set foot in the stable, but it really was much better suited to someone Serah's size. Besides, that mean grey chocobo might be able to bully Serah about, but Snow was an experienced stockman and a great deal bigger too.

"Okay, everybody ready?" The others nodded and Fang smirked. "Good, saddle up. I'll just settle with the owner of these here chocobos and then we can get a move on."

It took Fang about a quarter of an hour to get things sorted and then they were off. The ride to the Al Bhed would probably take two or three days, and that was if the weather held up and stuck to just a few light drizzles here and there. Of course, they'd been anything but lucky so far, and things weren't about to change.

About an hour shy of dusk, the light drizzle they'd been riding through turned into a downpour. The wind kicked up and great sheets of rain pelted down on them. It was hard just staying in the saddle, let alone getting anywhere, and as much as she wanted to press on, it wouldn't be long before they'd have to just call it a day and find some place to wait the storm out.

"Fang!" Vanille shouted. "We've got to get out of the rain!" The red head lifted one hand to try and shield her face. "I can barely see a thing and the chocobos can barely take a step in all this mud."

Fang nodded grimly. She wanted to keep going, but Vanille was right. Still, the rains would only speed things along for Cocoon and they were already cutting things pretty closely. But the simple fact of the matter was that it was almost impossible to see more than a few yards ahead and a quick glance at the others made it pretty clear that they were all cold, wet, and miserable. Even Snow looked pretty bad, the big stockman's powerful frame shivering as the rain beat down on him. It wouldn't matter one bit if they got to the Al Bhed in time if they turned up half dead. They'd just be easy picking for Cocoon.

"All right," Fang shouted back. "We'll stop as soon as we can find some place to get out of the weather." She squinted into the gloom up ahead. "It looks like there's an overhand in those rocks up ahead. We should be able to wait things out there."

They made their way to the overhang as quickly as they could and Fang could practically feel the relief coming from the others as they got the chocobos under cover and got a fire lit. All of them looked wet and tired and irritated, and Fang could hardly blame them. Riding a chocobo for hours at a time could get pretty tiring, and the rain and rocky terrain hadn't helped one bit.

"WARM," Fujin said as she tossed her cloak onto a rock close to the fire. Her shirt followed a moment later and Fang grinned as both Snow and Sazh quickly turned away. Clearly, both of them had learned the hard way not to intrude on a woman's modesty, especially when that woman was heavily armed and downright deadly with her hands and feet to boot. They needn't have been too worried though, because Fujin had some bindings on to cover her chest and the silver haired woman didn't seem the least bit embarrassed. If anything, she seemed more irritated about being wet. "SILLY," Fujin said. "TURN AROUND."

"You heard the lady, Snow. Turn around," Fang said. "We're all friends here anyway and we do kind of need to get dry, otherwise we will get sick." She smirked and shot an amused look at Serah. "Now get that shirt of yours off, Snow, and go dry off by the fire." Serah blushed and Fang turned her eyes to Lightning. "You too, sheriff," she said, her smirk widening a tad. "I wouldn't want you to catch a cold."

Lightning scowled, but nevertheless, stripped off her coat and shirt, which left her dressed much like Fujin. Fang, of course, did her best not to stare, although she'd have been lying if she said she didn't take at least a couple of quick looks. Naturally, when Serah moved to take off her own wet clothes, Lightning was quick to shoot Snow a dark look before she went off to fetch some dry blankets from the saddlebags. Snow might have looked out for Serah so far, but he was not about to see her in anything even vaguely resembling a state of undress.

A few minutes later, the lot of them had their wet clothes off and were huddled about the fire wrapped up in blankets.

"How long do you think this'll keep up?" Lightning murmured. "If it doesn't start to ease up, we might not make it there in time."

"Then let's hope it does ease up," Fang said. "Otherwise, we're going to have one heck of a disaster on our hands." She looked at Sazh. "It shouldn't be too much longer before we're dry enough to change into some of our spare clothes. In the mean time, how about you get some water boiled? I'm sure we could all use a coffee or something to warm us up." She tilted her head to one side. "Unless you've got any whiskey, that is."

"Actually…" Vanille crawled over to one of the saddlebags and reached into it. "We do have some whiskey!"

Fang's eyes widened as Vanille tossed her a bottle of whiskey. Actually, make that a very fine bottle of whiskey, she thought as she read the label. "Where on earth did you get this? I don't remember us picking up any along the way."

Vanille shrugged. "I might have sort of… maybe have swiped it from Ashelia's place before we headed off." Lightning shot her an unamused look and Vanille held her hands up in surrender. "Hey, they had plenty, so unless Ashelia's a drunk, she's not going to miss it. Besides, I thought it'd be nice if we had some around, you know, in case it gets cold, or we need to disinfect any wounds."

Fang gave Vanille a dubious look. "I'm sure that's what it was." She opened the bottle and took a swig. "Just don't turn into a lush, Vanille."

"Says the woman drinking straight from the bottle," Lightning said before Fang closed the bottle and tossed it her way.

"Have a sip, sheriff, if anyone here could use some warming up, it would be you." Fang smiled. "And don't worry, I won't take advantage of you if you get tipsy, not unless you're into that sort of thing."

Lightning frowned and looked down at the bottle for a moment. She could still see a little bit of moisture around the neck from where Fang's lips had been. Bracing herself, she tipped her head back and downed a mouthful of whiskey. "Anyone else want some?"

The bottle of whiskey was quickly passed around and Fang finally had a chance to see just what sort of tolerance some of the others had. Serah was the first to start acting a little tipsy – after just one swig, in fact – and it took everything Fang had to not burst into laughter as Serah began to ramble in quite an interesting fashion. Indeed, if it weren't for the fact that Lightning was currently glaring painful death at everyone and everything, Fang might have tried to slip Serah one more sip of whiskey.

"Have I told you, Snow, that you look extremely dashing without your shirt on?" Serah drawled, her cheeks a rosy pink and her hands drifting altogether too close to Snow's bare chest. To be fair, the poor fellow wasn't even thinking of taking advantage of things. If anything, he looked like he was trying to work out how to get away without offending Serah. "Why, I imagine you must have to fight off women wherever you go."

"Uh…" Snow leaned away. "Um…"

"That's about enough, Serah," Lightning said as she reached over and pulled Serah into her lap. "Maybe you should go to sleep."

"But I'm not tired," Serah said as she snuggled up to Lightning. Vanille's mouth twitched and Lightning shot her a ferocious scowl. "You know, Claire, you're really very soft," Serah murmured. "I don't know why we don't cuddle more. Remember when we were little? We used to cuddle all the time." Lightning's eyes widened comically as Serah nuzzled her cleavage. "But you're so grouchy now… which is a real shame… because you're really much softer now… much, much softer."

Fang suddenly found it very hard to breathe. Okay, maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to pass the whiskey around. Then again, she hadn't exactly thought Serah would turn out to be so touchy feely.

"All right," Lightning said as somehow managed to pry Serah off her. "How about we get some rest? The storm doesn't look like it'll let up any time soon, so we might as well rest up while we can." And before anyone else could say anything, she hurried over to the saddlebags to get one of the bedrolls out and all but threw Serah into it.

"That sounds like a good idea," Snow said softly, although Fang could detect a hint of hoarseness in his voice. Well, he was only human, and Serah had been really, really touchy feely.

"It's always the quiet ones," Sazh muttered as he shot Lightning an amused glance and went to get his own bedroll ready. "Now, who's going to take first watch?"

Lightning looked down at Serah who had, mercifully, fallen asleep. "I suppose I'll take it." She looked around. "We should have two people per watch though."

Fang nodded. "Sounds good, I'll take first watch with you then." She slanted a look over at Vanille who had all but slumped into her own bedroll. "Vanille isn't all that much better than Serah, so I guess she and Serah can take the last watch." Not to mention that any suggestion that Snow take a watch with Serah would probably end up with Snow either being kicked out into the rain, or else, riddled with bullets.

As the others got bedded down for the night, Fang watched Lightning out of the corner of her eye. The sheriff had chosen a spot just shy of the edge of the overhang where she had a good view of all of the approaches to their camp, albeit a view hampered by the rain. The sheriff's rifle was also draped across her lap and Fang waited a while for the others to nod off before she walked over to where Lightning was and sat down on a rock beside her.

They sat there for a couple of minutes just watching the rain and Fang was just about to speak when Lightning cleared her throat. "What will you do if we're too late?"

Fang looked out into the rain, her eyes drawn to the steadily growing puddles that had formed not too far from them. "I guess I'll just try to take down Cocoon anyway." She reached over for a small pebble and tossed it into one of the puddles. The splash the pebble made was barely noticeable through all the rain. "It might not bring the Al Bhed back, but it'll stop Cocoon from ever pulling something like this again." She shrugged. "I guess it's kind of lucky that the train doesn't go all the way. If they want to get back to Eden City, they'll have to get past us." With a faint smile on her lips, she reached out to catch several raindrops in her palm and flicked them at Lightning. The other woman rolled her eyes, but made no move to retaliate. "Serah's quite a drunk, isn't she?"

Lightning gave a heavy, heavy sigh and Fang couldn't help but chuckle. "Serah's been a lightweight for as long as I can remember," Lightning said. "At least she didn't shoot anything."

"Shoot anything?" Fang grinned. "Do you mind explaining that?"

Lightning brought the rifle up to her shoulder and glanced down the length of the barrel. "When Serah turned eighteen, we threw her a big party back in Bodhum. Everybody back in Bodhum loves her, you know, and that was the same year she headed off to study in Eden City, so the party was even bigger." Lightning lowered the rifle. "Someone must have mixed liquor into the juice or something, because the next thing I know, Serah's got a hold of a gun and damn if she isn't a better shot drunk than sober." Lightning's lips quirked up just a fraction. "We were holding a shooting contest and she just about won the whole thing. Heck, she'd have given me a run for my money, the way she was shooting."

"Remind me not to give her any whiskey next time," Fang said. "But you know, Vanille isn't that much better. You think she's trigger-happy when she's sober? You should see her when she's drunk."

Lightning actually shuddered. "That's a scary thought."

Fang nodded. "It sure is." She glanced back to where Vanille was sleeping, her hat draped carelessly over her face. "You know, we blew up a bridge once, a real big one, and not just the bridge either, we blew up the train that was on it too. Vanille was a little tipsy at the time, so instead of just using one explosive, she used four or five. It was absolutely incredible to watch all that metal, wood, and stone just go flying everywhere, at least it would have been if I hadn't been running for my damn life with Vanille thrown over my shoulder."

Lightning looked sideways at Fang. "The life of a big sister is never boring, is it?"

"Not for a moment." Fang stretched her hand out to catch more rain and tossed it at Lightning.

This time Lightning did retaliate, and by the time they stopped, they both looked a little like something the cat dragged in.

"You ever think about how things could have been?" Lightning asked softly.

Fang wiped her face off with the back of one hand. "You mean if Cocoon had never burned down Oerba?"

Lightning nodded. "That's right."

"Sometimes." Fang smiled softly, sadly. "But not too much – that'd just about drive me crazy. Doesn't matter anyway, you can wish all you want that things turned out different, but at the end of the day, you're not dealing with how things could have been, you're dealing with how things are." She poked a pebble with her foot. "And the fact is, I'd never have met Sazh if things hadn't turned out the way they did, and Vanille and I would never have gotten to see the world." She grinned at Lightning. "And I wouldn't have met you either, Lightning, or any of the others, so I guess it wasn't all bad." She tilted her head at Lightning. "You ever think about what you'd do if you weren't a sheriff?"

Lightning looked into the rain for a long moment and Fang wondered if the other woman would actually answer. "You know, growing up, I never thought about things like that too much." Lightning tossed the rifle up into the air and caught it easily, spinning it briefly before she tossed it up again. "Growing up in Bodhum, I just wanted to be someone… to make a difference. I suppose being a sheriff's a decent way to do that, but… I wouldn't have minded owning my own ranch somewhere."

"I can definitely see you owning a ranch," Fang said with a chuckle. "You'd be the terror of the West, getting all your stockmen to work double shifts at half pay." Just for emphasis she made a whipping motion with one hand.

"I'd pay them fairly and you know it." Lightning's eyes narrowed. "But you're right, I'd expect a decent day's work out of anyone who works for me, but in exchange I'd see to it they were treated right." She frowned. "I never could understand the way some people treat their hired help."

Fang looked out into the night. The rain had begun to slow and within a few minutes it had stopped entirely. It was far too late to get going again, but she found she didn't mind quite so much as before. The skies began to clear too, and all around them the West stirred. Animals came back out into the open, the stars twinkled overhead, and the wind rustled by, gentle, and slightly chilly, as the sounds of an owl echoed through the air.

"What are you looking at?" Lightning asked. "Trouble?"

Fang shook her head. "No, not trouble." She smiled faintly. "I was looking at the stars." At Lightning's curious look, she continued. "You ever hear about the way some of the tribes view the stars, Lightning?" The sheriff shook her head. "Well, how about I tell you a thing or two about how we people from Oerba think about the stars." She smirked. "We've still got a couple of hours to go before we switch over to the next watch, so I figure it might help pass the time."

"Fair enough," Lightning said. "Go ahead."

Fang cleared her throat. Stories were more Vanille's thing, but she'd listened to these particular stories just as closely as anyone. They'd been told by the tribe's elders when the nights grew cold and everyone huddled around the campfire for warmth. "In Oerba, when a good person dies, Divine Etro sets them up in the sky so that no one ever forgets them. The brighter the star, the better the person."

"That so?" Lightning glanced up at the sky. "Well, why don't you tell me who's up there."

Fang pointed up into the sky. "See those three stars all close together?" Lightning nodded. "Those are the Three Brothers. They were all great hunters and one day, they decided to prove their skill by hunting and trapping Bahamut, the Spirit of the Sky." She laughed. "Of course, they didn't actually catch him, but Bahamut was so impressed that he asked Etro to honour them anyway." Warming to her topic, Fang pointed to another group of stars. "See those stars, the ones shaped like a spear? They call that Kain's Lance."

"Kain's Lance?" Lightning asked.

"Yep," Fang said. "Kain was supposed to be one of the greatest warriors that ever lived. According to legend, so long as he had his lance, he was invincible." She laughed. "You know, before everything went bad, I'd just started learning how to use a lance. Every night I'd look up at those stars and I'd pray that I could get as good as he was."

"You said that good people get put up there," Lightning said. "But so far, you've only mentioned heroes. Who else is up there?"

"Well… it's true that most of the constellations are named after heroes, but they're not the only ones up there, at least I hope not." Fang closed her eyes. "There was a woman back in Oerba who looked after me and Vanille, even though we weren't hers. I'd like to believe she's got a star of her own, and I'd like to believe everyone else who died that day does too." She took a deep breath. "That woman, the one who looked after me and Vanille, she used to say that the reason Etro set the stars up in the sky wasn't just so that we wouldn't forget them, it was so that we wouldn't ever feel alone. All we'd have to do is look up into the sky and we'd know that there were people who cared about us, people who'd watch over us no matter how bad things got." Her voice grew hard. "I hope the stars are watching the day I finally set things right, I hope they see that I haven't forgotten them." Her voice dropped to barely a whisper. "I hope they're proud of me."

Lightning said nothing for a long time, but when she spoke, her voice was gentle, like a cool autumn breeze brushing against Fang's heart. "I don't know if the stars really are the spirits of the dead, Fang, but I figure that your people would be proud of you just the same."

Fang's eyes widened. "Lightning –"

But before Fang could say anything else, Lightning shot to her feet. "Uh… I'm just going to take a look around, make sure there isn't anything dangerous nearby."

Watching Lightning stride off into the shadows, Fang could only laugh and shake her head. "Really, sheriff, just when I think I've got you pinned down, you've just to go out and surprise me."

X X X

The next two days passed pretty quickly and to Fang's surprise things actually seemed to go their way. It was still raining, but it wasn't so bad that they couldn't keep up a pretty decent pace during the day. They still had to make camp once dusk fell, but they were actually making good time. It didn't hurt either, that they kept the same shifts each night.

Little by little, Fang found Lightning opening up as they whiled away the long hours together. She learned pretty quickly that the trick to getting Lightning to talk was to set things up so that the other woman had something else to occupy her. It didn't matter if it was just watching the rain, or keeping the fire going, so long as Lightning didn't feel too caged in by the conversation, she actually didn't seem to mind talking all that much.

On the morning of their fourth day on chocobo, Fang called a stop to things. The Al Bhed weren't all that for off now, just over the next series of hills, really, which meant that Cocoon was probably close by too. They hadn't spotted anyone yet, but that didn't mean much. The chances were that Cocoon had at least a couple of people hidden around to keep watch, maybe more.

"All right," Fang said as the group got the chocobos hidden away behind some big rocks. "Here's what we're going to do. Serah, Snow, Sazh, and Vanille are going to stay here and keep an eye on all of our things. Try to keep out of sight. Quistis and Fujin, I want you two to head upriver, see how things are set up at the dam. Lightning and I will head over to the village, see what's going on there."

After a few complaints, mostly from Vanille who wanted to come along, Fang headed off toward the village with Lightning. As much as she'd have liked to bring Vanille along, the red head wasn't exactly much given to sneaking, and given the situation, sneaking was what they would have to do. It took a little bit of time to get closer since they had to go on foot, but going on chocobo would make it far too easy to spot them.

"That's the village," Fang said as she pointed down at the clump of buildings below them. "Now, we don't know that there'll be trouble, but the way things have gone, I think it'd be a good idea to have a look around first."

Lightning nodded. "With our luck, Cocoon will be right there waiting for us."

"Probably." Fang grinned. "But if that happens, we'll just have to sort them out the old fashioned way – with a hell of a lot of bullets. Now, you take that side of the village, I'll take the other. Once you're done looking around, meet back here."

Glad that there were enough trees around the village to provide a bit of cover, Fang crept closer. It was well past dawn now, so there should have been a lot of people out and about, but so far she hadn't really spotted anybody. She had a bad feeling about this. Lightning could be right about Cocoon being right there waiting for them.

Keen to get even closer, she followed a little brook – one of several that branched off the from the broad, swift-flowing river that ran alongside one edge of the village – and came to a stop just shy of the open space that signalled the edge of the village. There were people there, but they were not Al Bhed. In fact, from the way they were dressed and the way they carried themselves, she'd bet they were hired guns. Of course, the wagon full of guns and ammunition beside them also helped settle things.

This was bad, Fang thought, as she skirted the edges of the village. There were hired guns everywhere and the Al Bhed seemed to be locked inside their own homes. She and the others had been hoping to warn the Al Bhed, maybe even get them on side, but it looked like Cocoon was done messing around. Their plan was probably to keep the Al Bhed locked up until they blew the dam and then just kill anyone who tried to escape. The floodwaters would get rid of the bodies and nobody would be any wiser.

As quietly as she could, Fang headed back up to where she and Lightning were supposed to meet. She'd been there all of five minutes when she felt a dagger come to rest against her throat. Slowly, she turned, expecting to see a hired gun. That was not what she saw. The person holding a dagger against her throat was a young woman with blonde hair who wore what looked to be a faded orange-brown top with a pair of green shorts. It was a curious mix of the clothing people back east wore and the clothing the Al Bhed typically favoured. What really got Fang's attention though, were the young woman's eyes – they were a vivid green and had the peculiar swirled pupils that were the surest sign of an Al Bhed.

"Are you with them?" the woman snarled. "Answer me!"

"Hey, just calm down there," Fang said. "There's no need for anyone to…" She trailed off as Lightning seemingly appeared out of nowhere, her gun pressed against the back of the young woman's head.

"How about you put that dagger down?" Lightning said.

The young woman made an aggravated sound and slowly lowered her weapon. "Who are you two?" she asked. "What are you doing here?"

Fang took a quick look around. They hadn't been spotted yet, but if the young woman's voice got any louder, or if they ended up fighting, they definitely would be. Digging up her somewhat rusty Oerban, which Fang knew had at least a few similarities to Al Bhed, she spoke. "Calm down, we're here to help."

The young woman's eyes widened and she replied quickly in Al Bhed. "That is Oerban… there aren't supposed to be any Oerbans left."

"Well, I'm one of the last," Fang said. "My name is Oerba Yun Fang and I'm here to make sure that what happened to Oerba doesn't happen to your people."

"That so?" The young woman nodded slowly. "Do you know who those people in my village are?"

Fang nodded. "Yes, they're from Cocoon." She cleared her throat. "But how about we speak in something else. My friend there." She pointed at Lightning. "Doesn't speak Oerban or Al Bhed." Fang sighed. "Now, I can explain what's going on, but first we need to get out of here, okay?"

"Right." The young woman turned. "Do you have a camp nearby?"

"Yes," Lightning said. "But who are you?"

The young woman grinned impishly. "The name's Rikku."

X X X

**Author's Notes**

As always, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off this.

Another slightly slower chapter, although given the prodigious body count in the previous chapter, it's only fair that Cocoon's hired guns get some time to kick back and enjoy the good life, at least until Fang and the others show up. More seriously, however, I wanted to try and get at some of the thoughts that are going through Fang's head as the showdown with Cocoon gets closer and closer. As they say "waiting is the hardest part" and when you've been waiting years to get your revenge, well, waiting can get pretty hard indeed.

With regards to chocobos, I know chocobos don't actually exist (if they did, I would own several), but lots of animals really do just seem to listen to the tone of their owner's voice. I recall quite fondly the way that one of my friends used to swear at their dog in the most affectionate manner and the dog would, in contradiction to some of the quite interesting epithets being used, just grin and look like all its Christmases had come at once.

The idea of drunk Serah being touchy feely is something that comes up in a number of other stories (big invisible internet hat tip to E. G. Szyslak, in particular), and I just couldn't resist having Lightning and Snow be on the receiving end of her more liberal behaviour. As for the thought of Serah being better with a gun tipsy than sober, that is a not so very veiled reference to the concept of 'drunk-fu'. Lightning has already taught Serah all of the mechanics of shooting, and being just a little tipsy takes the edge off her fear and gets her to relax enough to make the most of her training. Coincidentally, I do actually know someone who gets significantly better at videogames when they are drunk. Obviously though, I do not recommend getting excessively drunk, nor do I recommend handling firearms when drunk (yes, this is a warning that you shouldn't go out, get drunk, and then handle weaponry).

For those of you who do not know, Rikku is from FF X and FF X-2. I've been waiting a while to put her in because she is definitely one of my favourite FF characters. Anyone who can defeat monsters by throwing money at them is made of awesome.

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	29. Chapter 29

**People of Principle**

Lightning wasn't quite sure what to make of Rikku. The young woman – more of a girl really, given that she was all of fifteen or sixteen – seemed easy going enough. However, the way she'd handled those daggers of hers earlier had been no joke. Nor had the look in her eyes been anything less than deadly serious when she'd had one of those daggers pressed up against Fang's throat. For one horrible moment, Lightning's mind had been filled with the image of Fang on her knees, eyes wide with horror as clutched at her ruined throat. It had taken everything Lightning had to keep her voice and arm steady as she'd pressed her gun up to the back of Rikku's head.

Still, their initial meeting aside, Fang seemed to trust Rikku and Lightning had learned to trust Fang's judgement when it came to things like this. The other woman might sometimes seem to take things a little easy, but Fang wouldn't have survived as long as she had if she was a bad judge of character. Of course, it didn't hurt Rikku's cause that the Al Bhed were pretty distinctive with those eyes of theirs. Besides, if Rikku had wanted to get them caught, she could easily have called for the hired guns while they were still near the village. She hadn't and Lightning was pretty sure now that Rikku was someone they could trust.

Still, even though Lightning had decided that it was all right to trust Rikku, that didn't mean she necessarily liked the girl. On the way back to their camp, Rikku had switched between speaking a language that Lightning could understand and speaking in Al Bhed. It was the bits in Al Bhed that had Lightning worried. Rikku would look at her and then at Fang and then gesture animatedly with both hands as she waggled her eyebrows in Lighting's direction. The silly grin on her face didn't help matters, either.

"All right," Lightning said as she stopped for a moment and glared at Rikku. The girl gave a little squeak and immediately stepped behind Fang, even going so far as to sort of clutch at the other woman's coat like she was some kind of shield. It reminded Lightning a great deal of Vanille and she could only hope that Rikku wouldn't prove quite as mischievous as the red head. She probably would though, if Lightning's previous luck was anything to go by. "I thought we agreed that we'd stick to a language we can all understand." Her gaze flicked over to Fang who looked decidedly nervous. "What's she been saying?"

Fang grimaced and Lightning had a feeling that her suspicions were dead on. "Well, not all of what Rikku's been saying translates that easily." She laughed nervously. "Al Bhed has a lot of words in it that don't really make sense in other languages and…"

Lightning's eyes narrowed. "Just cut to the chase, Fang."

"She was kind of saying that you're really pretty," Fang said as Rikku did her best to disappear behind her. "They don't really have anyone with hair or eyes like yours in the village and she said that you'd probably get lots of offers if you were interested." Fang didn't exactly feel the need to point out that the phrase Rikku had used didn't necessarily translate into offers of marriage, per se. "But she was also saying that it was kind of a shame since you were already taken and everything."

"Taken?" Lightning arched one eyebrow and stepped around Fang to stare down at Rikku. "What makes you think that?"

Rikku paled. "Well… I kind of thought you and Fang were…"

Lightning's cheeks reddened just a little. "It's not like that right now, okay." She turned on her heel. "And stop at me looking like I'm going to kill you." Rikku breathed a sigh of relief. "I can't until you tell us what we want to know."

"She's scary," Rikku whispered softly to Fang as they got going again. Then she grinned. "But I can see why you like her." She giggled. "And did you notice that she said that 'it's not like that right now' so maybe… later…" she waved her hands about for emphasis.

Fang chuckled and patted Rikku on the head. "Maybe, but trust me, Rikku, if you want to live, I wouldn't bring it up again."

Up ahead, Lightning could only frown as she heard Rikku giggle again before whispering something else to Fang. Wonderful, they'd gone from speaking in Al Bhed to whispering behind her back. There was no longer any doubt about it in her mind. Vanille and Rikku would get along just fine.

By the time they got back to camp, Quistis and Fujin were already there. However, before Lightning could even thinking of talking to them about what they'd seen over at the dam, the others spotted Rikku.

"You found an Al Bhed?" Vanille cried as she darted over to grab Rikku's hands. "Nice to meet you." She smiled sunnily. "I'm Vanille."

"Are you Oerban too?" Rikku asked curiously.

Vanille nodded and said something quickly in what Lightning assumed was Al Bhed. "Sure am," she added, this time for everyone's benefit. "And I'm guessing that you're on our side, since you're not dead or beat up or anything."

Rikku looked at Lightning and then smiled weakly. "Yet."

Vanille followed Rikku's gaze and laughed. "Don't worry, the sheriff there is really just a big softie once you get right down to it." She ducked her head a little as Lightning tossed a glare her way. "All bark and no bite… except when it comes to Fang."

Lightning stifled the urge to cover her face with her hands as Rikku nodded and then fired off a couple of quick sentences in Al Bhed that had Vanille in stitches. The red head managed to get herself back under control and then pointed at Lightning before she said something in Al Bhed that made even Fang blush and reach out to cuff her over the back of the head.

"WHO?" Fujin asked Lightning, the one eyed woman's gaze showing just a hint of sympathy for Lightning's plight as Rikku and Vanille continued to, quite obviously, discuss things about her.

"We found her right near the village," Fang said as she stepped between Rikku and Vanille. She frowned at both of them. It was a not very subtle suggestion to settle down before Lightning settled them down. "Her name's Rikku and like Vanille said, she's on our side."

Quistis nodded. "I don't suppose she can tell us what's been going on around here the last few days?" She frowned. "Because things up at the dam aren't exactly looking good."

Lightning looked at Quistis. "That so? Well, you can tell us about that later. For now though, I think it might be best to have Rikku fill us in on things." She gestured at Rikku. "So, you going to tell us what's been going on around here?"

Rikku nodded eagerly. "Sure, sure, but maybe you could all introduce yourselves first?" Her stomach grumbled noisily and she winced. "And… um… maybe I could eat first? I've been hiding out for a few days now, and in between keeping an eye on the village and dodging all the patrols, I haven't exactly been eating all that much."

Serah smiled and reached over to hand Rikku a canteen of water and some bread. "Here, why don't you have these? I'm Serah by the way. Lightning is my sister."

Rikku tilted her head to one side. "Really? You seem a lot friendlier than her."

That provoked a quick spell of laughter from everyone and Rikku was quick to get up and move so that she was sitting between Vanille and Fang. She was already pretty sure that Lightning wasn't going to really do anything to her, but it was better safe than sorry.

"What are the rest of you waiting for? Go on, introduce yourselves," Lightning said gruffly as she gave Rikku a stern look. The message was clear: if she kept pushing, Lightning just might push back. Rikku waved a hand weakly in Lightning's direction. Apparently, Rikku had got the message just fine.

After a quick round of introductions, Rikku got stuck straight into her story. She ate as she talked, the canteen of water propped against her leg, the bread in her lap.

"They came four days ago," Rikku said. "There were a lot of them, but that didn't worry us too much at first since they were from Cocoon." She frowned faintly. "For as long as I can remember, Cocoon's been good to us. Just recently, they even helped get a proper school built and they paid for Miss Lulu to come out and teach us, but that's not all. A few years ago, when the rains were a bit worse than usual, they actually helped get some of the houses that got damage fixed up again. Lately though, they've been giving us a bit of a hand getting a proper bridge over the river built, one that won't wash away if the rains get really bad." Her green eyes narrowed. "They were always really good about it. They said they wanted to do their bit for the West, help make things better between the Al Bhed and the people back east. They really seemed like they cared. A couple of us thought it was too good to be true, but after all those years of help, we started believing that they really did want to look out for us."

Lightning saw a sad but knowing look flash across Fang's face. What Rikku was saying sounded just like Cocoon and after all the help they'd given, no wonder the Al Bhed hadn't minded too much when some men working for Cocoon had turned up. "What happened then, Rikku?"

The girl took a sip of water. "Like I was saying, they arrived four days ago with a whole lot of men. They said that they were there to get the bridge over the river finished, see if maybe they couldn't get it done before the rainy season cut us off from the other side. That was the reason we got the bridge started in the first place, you see, since when the rains get bad, it's almost impossible to get across the river." Rikku's lips tightened. "That night, I was feeling a bit restless, thought I might drop in on Miss Lulu and bother her a little." She grinned, but the expression dropped a moment later. "I was halfway there when I heard some of those men from Cocoon talking. They were saying all these really strange things about how they were going to get all of us locked up and keep us there until something big happened." She paused and swallowed thickly. "They must have spotted me somehow, because the next thing I know, there's bullets headed my way. I got out of there as fast as I could and hid outside the village in the hills."

Lightning was not looking forward to explaining to Rikku just what those Cocoon hired guns meant by 'something big'. "What happened then?"

Rikku looked down at her bread and took a small bite out of it before she continued. "I spent the night hiding out in the hills and when morning came, I tried to head back to the village." Her hands clenched into fists. "But by the time I got back there, they'd already locked everyone up in their houses and they were swarming all over the place with guns." She smiled weakly and looked at the others. "Since then, I've been hiding out in the hills and keeping an eye out on them, hoping that maybe I might be able to bust some of my people out. The problem was, there were just too many of those hired guns of theirs around, but I figure you lot just might be able to help me with that."

Lightning nodded. "We'll help you get your people out of the mess they're in, Rikku, but there's something you should know first." She met Fang's gaze and nodded. "You want to be the one to tell her, Fang?"

"I guess it'd be best if I was the one," Fang said quietly. "Look, Rikku, Cocoon doesn't just want your people locked up, they want them dead."

Rikku dropped her bread and the canteen of water clattered to the ground as she shot to her feet. "What do you mean?"

Fang sighed. "It's like this…"

By the time Fang was done explaining, Rikku's face had gone really pale. For a few moments, she just stood there, jaw clenched and hands balled up into fists. The others backed away, a little unsure of what she'd do now that she knew how things were. That turned out to be a good idea. Slowly, Rikku forced her hands to unclench and then she bent down to pick up the bread and right the canteen of water. Then she took a deep breath and let loose a string of words in Al Bhed that made both Fang and Vanille's eyes widen.

"What is she saying?" Lightning asked as Rikku continued to speak in Al Bhed.

"Wait a second," Vanille said as she frowned faintly in concentration. A moment later, she grinned. "Wow, I didn't know that one."

"Fang?" Lightning asked. "What's she saying?"

Fang winced as Rikku spat something that sounded particularly horrible. "She's swearing, Lightning, and I have to tell you, it's probably better that you don't understand what she's saying." She winced again. "Can't really say that I blame her though."

After at least a couple more minutes of insults hurled Cocoon's way, Rikku finally simmered down. She sank back onto the ground and looked at the rest of them, looking every bit as young as she really was.

"So… when are we going to bust my people out?"

"It'll be tricky, Rikku," Lightning said. "But we'll do it as soon as we can. But you're going to need to tell us as much as you can about how they're set up in the village. Don't leave anything out, even if it doesn't seem like it'll matter. The more we know, the better off we'll be." Her gaze shifted to Quistis and Fujin. "And we're going to need to know about the dam, as well. The odds are that we'll have to deal with the village and the dam at the same time. Otherwise, if just we take back the village, Cocoon might just blow the dam anyway and drown the lot of us. Likewise, if we take the dam first, there's no telling what those hired guns in the village might get up to." She looked at Fang. "That sound about right?"

Fang nodded grimly. "I'd bet everything I own that Cocoon's got plans in place if they lose the dam or the village. The only way we'll come out of this okay is we take both of them together." She frowned and glanced up at the sky. The clouds had begun to gather again and it had already started to drizzle a bit. "And we'll probably have to do it in the rain too."

"Can't say I'm surprised," Lightning said with a faint smile. "Given how our luck has been so far. Now, come on, Rikku, tell us everything. Quistis, Fujin, once she's done, you two can fill us in on how things are at the dam."

By the time Rikku, Quistis, and Fujin had gotten them up to date, Lightning couldn't help but wonder just how they'd pull this off. According to Rikku, there were something like a hundred hired guns in the village, maybe more, and all of them were armed to the teeth. It looked like Cocoon had learned a thing or two from their encounters in Eden City and they weren't about to take any chances. That wasn't all of it either. The hired guns in the village were led by a fellow called Cid Raines, and Lighting had heard enough about him to know that he was no pushover.

The story over at the dam was much the same. Cocoon had a stack of hired guns there and they'd set up some scaffolding to help them rig the dam with explosives. There were some makeshift fortifications set up, as well, which would only add to the trouble. Still, at least both Hojo and Barthandelus appeared to be there, which meant that if things did go right, they could end things right here. However, Lightning very much doubted that those two would show up without some of their own protection, protection that was certain to be better than the run of the mill hired guns they'd faced so far. No, if anything, they'd be hiring people like that Rosso woman from the train to look after them.

"You mentioned someone that you saw at the dam, Quistis," Lightning said. "Said you recognised him right away."

Quistis nodded. "Yes, and you'd have recognised him too." She paused. "It looks like Orphan is working for Barthandelus."

Lightning's eyes narrowed. "You mean… that Orphan?"

Quistis smiled grimly. "Yes, Lightning, that Orphan."

"Well, isn't that just peachy," Fang drawled. "Cocoon really does like to scrape the bottom of the barrel when it comes to the hired help."

"Wait, who is this Orphan?" Serah asked. "You're acting like he's some kind of monster."

"Monster is about the right way to put it," Fang said as Lightning shot her a warning look. However, Fang ignored it and pressed on. "He was something of a legend back when Vanille and I first started, but he kind of fell off the face of the earth a few years back. According to what I'd heard, he was a real piece of work. He must have killed more than twenty marshals before he disappeared and just as many sheriffs." She paused. "And I won't even begin to tell you how many civilians he's gunned down. Some people are into banditry for the money, I always figured a man like him was in it for the killing."

"Twenty-three marshal," Quistis said stiffly. "And twenty one sheriffs, more if you include their deputies."

Lightning pursed her lips. "They were good men and women, skilled too, but that didn't help them in the end. Amodar had a run in with him once, barely got out alive."

"That's why they call him Orphan," Fang said with shake of her head. "They say he was so bad even his parents didn't want him, that and everywhere he goes he leaves orphans in his wake." She shuddered. "He's a real piece of work, all right."

"But how the heck did Cocoon get someone like that?" Lightning asked. "How'd they even find him?"

"There were always rumours that he had help busting out before he could be tried and hanged," Quistis said. "Some of my higher ups thought he might have had backing from some powerful people, people who used him to do any killing that they needed. After everything Cocoon's done, I wouldn't put it past Barthandelus to be the one who has been backing Orphan up all this time. It seems just like his style, and Hojo's too, for that matter."

"Sounds reasonable enough." Lightning looked around. It was nearing on sunset and she could see that they were a little anxious. "Look, we'll work this out. We've just got to get a plan together, figure out what our options are."

Fang nodded. "Seems like a start."

"Hold up!" Sazh shouted. He'd been on watch during the last part of the discussion and now he was waving them over as he pointed to something not too far off. "I think we might have company."

Lightning and the others went over to take a look. There was a lone rider on a chocobo headed their way through the rain.

"Your recognise him, Rikku?" Lightning asked.

Rikku nodded. "I think he was one of the hired guns in the village."

Fang smirked. "That so?" She looked at the others. "How about we go invite him over for dinner?"

X X X

Zack Fair knew that he wasn't a good man. Good men would never have done some of the things he'd done back when he'd worked for Shinra. However, he did like to think that he was a decent man. Sure, he was a hired gun, and if someone took a shot at him, he wouldn't think twice about shooting back. But unlike a lot of hired guns, there were things he wouldn't do and murdering a whole village full of innocent people was one of them. It didn't matter how much money he was getting paid – and Cocoon paid an awful lot – that sort of thing just wasn't right.

That's why when Cid had told him all about Cocoon's damn plans for the village, he'd hightailed it right out of there. He might not be able to stop Cid and all the other hired guns, but he sure as hell wasn't about to help. All the same though, he couldn't understand why Cid was just going along with things. Sure, Cid was a little odd sometimes, but he was a pretty decent fellow. This kind of thing was something he'd expect out of Hojo, not Cid. Hell, he'd bet everything he owned that Hojo had come up with the plan because it was right up that monster's alley.

Cursing as the rain started to pick up, Zack pulled his hat down to shield his face a little better. Another thing he couldn't understand was why Cid had told him about the plan in the first place. The other hired guns hadn't known a thing. All they knew was that they had to keep the Al Bhed locked up until Cid said otherwise. But Cid had told him everything. Maybe it was because Cid trusted him, they'd certainly worked together long enough for that. More likely though, Cid didn't like the plan either and he'd wanted someone else to shoulder some of the burden. It was a hard thing knowing you'd be responsible for so many people ending up dead, especially when they hadn't done anything to you to deserve it.

Damn, Cid should have listened to him and called the whole thing off. Sure, Barthandelus would be angry, but Cid was almost like a son to him. Zack was sure that with a bit of smooth talk, they might have been able to turn things around. But Cid hadn't called it off, instead he'd given Zack a pretty simple choice: he could either go along with the plan, or he could leave. For Zack the choice had been pretty easy. He'd left Shinra because he couldn't stand some of the things they were doing. He'd hoped that Cocoon would be better, and at first it had been. All he'd ever had to do was put on a nice front for anyone who got curious and take out the occasional spy or bandit. Easy money, and pretty clean too, compared to what he'd done in the past to make a living. And then this had happened. What a damn mess.

Still, he was kind of surprised that Cid had kept his word and let him go. He'd kind of expected to get shot in the back as he rode off – it's what most people would have done. Then again, Cid really was an honourable man. If Cid ever came after him, it would be face to face in a straight up fight. So, Cid had just let him ride off, looking very much like he wanted to do the same. Nevertheless, Zack knew that he was done with Cocoon. If he ever showed his face again then friends or not, Cid would shoot him. In fact, Zack was pretty sure that by the time he made it back to civilisation, there'd be a pretty nice bounty on his head. After all, he knew just a little too much for Hojo and Barthandelus to be comfortable with letting him go.

The wind kicked up and Zack had to reach up to steady his hat. The rain was almost horizontal now and he gave his worried chocobo a pat on the heady. "It's just you and me, boy," he said. "Like old times."

He had nowhere to go now. Once he got back to the train line, he would probably head further West. There were towns out there that even Cocoon didn't really know about. He could lay low for a while, see if maybe he could wait things out. Of course, he could also try Eden City again. Reeve had helped him get out of Shinra and he still owed Zack a couple of favours. It would be risky – Shinra would definitely be after him once they knew that he couldn't hide behind Cocoon's skirts any longer – but Reeve was someone he trusted. Reeve might be able to give him a better idea of how much people wanted him dead. Reeve could probably also find him a place to hide, maybe even find some way for him to trade information for safety.

However, Zack knew better than to get his hopes up. The odds were he'd be on the run again, probably for years, maybe even his whole life, which probably wouldn't be all that long. That was a mightily depressing thought and so he nearly missed the blur of movement off to one side of him as he rode past some rocks. Had they gone after him already?

He reached down for his gun, a curse on his lips at the rain that made it so hard to make anything out. But before he could even clear the holster, something hit him from the side and he tumbled out of the saddle. He landed in the mud and rolled back on to his feet as his chocobo let out a couple of high-pitched squawks. His gun was on the ground next to him, but as he bent to pick it up, he found himself staring down the barrel of someone else's gun.

"It's been a while, Zack."

He looked up. Aw, hell. "I could say the same, Fran." He grinned. "Although I guess, that isn't your real name."

She grinned back. "The name's Fang. I'm glad that you remember me." She gestured with her gun and he grimaced as he noticed that there were other people there and that all of them had guns pointed at him. "Mind coming with us? We just want to have a nice friendly chat."

Zack looked back at his chocobo who seemed to grasp the trouble they were in. The big bird gave a quiet caw. Really, could his day get any worse?

X X X

Lightning looked down at Zack. They'd taken the man back to their camp and tied him up good and proper. Then they'd asked him a couple of questions to try and work just what exactly he was doing riding out in the rain away from all the other Cocoon hired guns. The story he'd told had been quite the tale.

"So, let me get this straight," Lightning said as she rubbed at her temple with one hand. "You didn't like what Cocoon was up to, so you just up and left." There wasn't a smidgen of doubt in her voice about how much she believed his story. That was to say, not very much at all. "And they just let you go? Just like that?"

Zack grinned, which probably wasn't the best thing to do, seeing as how most of the people there looked like they'd be happy enough to fill him full of lead. "That's about right."

"That doesn't sound right," Quistis said. "You know too much. There's no way they'd just let you go."

Zack nodded. "If it had been anyone but Cid in charge, they'd probably have shot me the moment I turned my back on them, but Cid's not like that." He fidgeted a little and sighed. They'd done an awfully good job on the ropes. There wasn't any slack at all that he could use to try and get free. It didn't help either, that they had the big man, Snow, right next to him and ready to clout him over the head if he so much as looked at someone funny. "So, mind telling me what you're going to do now?"

"We could shoot him?" Vanille said a tad too cheerfully. "One less hired gun to worry about."

"Now, wait a second," Zack said quickly before the others could agree. "I know things and I wouldn't mind sharing them one bit if you didn't shoot me. You wouldn't even have to untie me until you were finished settling up with Cocoon."

"That so?" Lightning's eyes narrowed. "Well, how about you tell us what you know and we'll see if we can't make a deal." Her voice hardened. "But don't even think of lying to us. We've had a look around and if anything you say doesn't match up with what we already know, you'll find yourself in real trouble."

Zack nodded. "Fair enough." Quickly he gave them a run down of the general layout of the village along with where the hired guns were set up. "There," he said. "That enough to show you I'm not lying?"

Lightning glanced quickly at the others. Everything Zack had said so far matched up with what they already knew. Fang nodded a fraction. "All right, it looks like you're not lying but if you want to get free, you're going to have to give us a little more, tell us something we don't already know."

"Look," Zack said. "You've got plenty of reason not to trust me, but believe me, I've got even better reasons not to lie to you."

"Oh?" Fang smirked. "And what would those be?"

Zack tilted his head to one side. "You've met me before, Fang, and I figure you're a decent judge of character. Do I seem anywhere near like the kind of man who'd be happy with what Cocoon's doing?" Fang shook her head and Zack pressed on. "Besides, now that I've decided to pull up stakes, Cocoon will be gunning for me too. It's like you said. I know too much, and while Cid might have let me go, I doubt Barthandelus or Hojo are going to look the other way. It's just a matter of time before they come after me." He sighed heavily. "You know, I used to work for Shinra. It was easy money, but there were some things going on there I didn't like, so I headed over to Cocoon because I thought it would be different and because I needed someone to keep Shinra off my back. Now, I'll have Cocoon and Shinra after me." He laughed softly. "Heck, it might be kinder if you did shoot me. It'd certainly be kinder than what either Shinra or Cocoon would do to me."

Fang pursed her lips and Lightning shot her a questioning look. "Zack," Fang said. "How'd you get out of Shinra in one piece? Last I heard they don't exactly just let people leave."

"I got some help," Zack said. "There was a man I knew who was pretty good at moving information around. He got me a deal with Cocoon and organised it so that I could get away without getting caught."

"Really?" Fang's eyes narrowed. "What was that man's name?"

Zack looked nervous for a moment, but when Vanille started loading her shotgun, he got back to talking pretty quickly. "Tuesti, his name was Reeve Tuesti."

Now that, Lightning thought, was definitely a surprise. Reeve had been the one to help all of them out with information and if he'd helped Zack out too, then maybe they could trust him. If Zack knew who Reeve was and hadn't sold him out to Cocoon, then he couldn't be all that loyal to the company. No, if she had to make her guess, she'd say that Zack was a survivor and that was something she understood just fine.

"We happen to know Reeve," Lightning said. "Care to describe him?"

"Describe him?" Zack laughed. "He's a decent looking fellow, has a moustache, and likes to dress in a suit." He paused. "Really loves his damn cat too, spoils him rotten." He laughed. "Though I can't blame him too much. I swear Cait Sith's smarter than most people."

"Well, looks like you really do know Reeve." Fang bent down so that they were eye to eye. "I don't think we will kill you, but you'd better tell us everything you know about what's going on and I mean everything."

Zack nodded. "Sure."

Lightning inclined her head and Fang untied the ropes. "Zack, how'd you feel about joining us?" The looks of surprise on the faces of the others were almost comical, but she pressed on. For his part, Zack didn't look so much surprised as he did curious. "Going by what we know, we could definitely use any help we can get."

"Now, don't take this the wrong way," Zack said. "But why should I? It looks like you're all planning to go down there and pick a fight and that seems a lot like a suicide mission." He grimaced at the glare Vanille shot him. "No offence."

"Think about it," Lightning said. "Cocoon's going to be gunning for you and so is Shinra. If you help us out here, then Cocoon will be finished. If nothing else, that's one less thing to worry about, but consider this: Cocoon and Shinra are rivals, big rivals."

Zack's lips curled into a grin. "And you're thinking maybe if I help then that might settle things with Shinra, maybe get them off my back too?" He shook his head. "That's crazy."

"But it might work," Fang said. "I've dealt with Reeve plenty of times and if you bring something like that to him, I don't doubt he'll be able to cut you a deal with Shinra." Her eyes twinkled. "You'd be able to take what you've got and head out West, get a place of your own without having to look over your shoulder the whole way."

"That sounds mighty tempting," Zack said slowly as he weighed the idea in his mind. "Really tempting now that I think about it." He laughed. "Hell, why not? I'm dead for sure if I just run, at least with you guys I just might make out in one piece."

"Good," Lightning said. "Now, if we're going to do this, we need you to start talking. Tell us everything."

Zack nodded. "There's no point in keeping anything back now." He frowned. "First up, we don't have that much time. Cid said they were planning on blowing the dam some time around noon tomorrow."

"That soon?" Fang's look was grim.

"That soon," Zack replied. "The rain has got the dam just about full so there really isn't all that much point in waiting." He sighed. "It won't be easy stopping them either. Hojo's got a couple of his own handpicked men up there and Barthandelus has a fellow named Orphan on the payroll. He's a real piece of work that one."

"And in the village?" Lightning asked. "Other than Cid, is there anyone we really need to worry about?"

"Not too long ago, I'd have said that you'd have to worry about me," Zack said. "But other than Cid, pretty much all of the people down there are run of the mill hired guns. The only other man you have worry about would be Yaag Rosch." Zack's lip curled in distaste. "I heard he used to be a marshal before he got sick of the job and the pay. Now, he works for Cocoon and let me tell you, he's not half bad with a gun or a sabre."

"I think I remember him," Quistis said softly. "He used to work with Jihl Nabaat, if I remember right."

"We'll have to keep an eye out for him then." Lightning glanced around. They all looked tired and hungry. "All right, let's get dinner started. We can keep talking while we eat and it'll give me time to come up with a plan." If there was one thing that Amodar had drilled into her head, it was how important it was to come up with a plan when she was going up against superior numbers. One person running in with guns blazing wasn't too hard to take out. One person with a lot of information who put that information to good use? Well, that was another story.

As they ate dinner, Lightning listened closely as Zack continued to talk about how Cocoon had things set up. At the same time, the others were quick to ask questions and toss around a few of their own ideas and by the time that they'd finished eating, Lightning was pretty sure she had something that might work. It would be risky, but anything that involved so few people going up against so many was bound to be a little tricky.

"We're going to need to hit the village and the dam at the same time," Lightning said. "From what we've heard, they've got themselves dug in pretty nicely at the dam. That's why Fang, Vanille, Sazh, and I are going to be the ones to head on over there." Of course, there was another reason that she'd chosen Vanille and Fang for the dam. Hojo and Barthandelus were there and the two Oerbans had plenty of unfinished business to settle with those two. "I want the rest of you to hit the village." She nodded at Quistis and Fujin. "I'll put you in charge of that Quistis, but talk to Zack, make sure you know exactly what you're in for. The way I see it, the best thing might be for you and Fujin to run in there and make some noise. While you're doing that, Rikku and Zack can sneak around and bust as many people free as they can. Anyone they free can either fight or run, but either way, it's better than just letting them stay there." She looked at Snow. "They've got a lot of their weapons stored in a couple of wagons. You look just like a hired gun and I figure you might be the best person to sneak in there and make sure they can't get to those wagons."

"What about me?" Serah asked softly. "I don't want to stay behind. I can help, Lightning, you know I can."

Lightning took a deep breath and did her best to ignore the way that all the others had stopped what they were doing to watch how she'd react. "I know, Serah, but I need you to answer me right here and now, can I count on you tomorrow? I'm not going to lie to you, if you go along tomorrow, there'll be shooting and you're going to have to take part in it."

Serah took a deep breath and gulped. "You can count on me," she said at last. "If I need to shoot, I guess I'll shoot. I won't like it much, but I'll get it done."

"Good," Lightning said. "Then tomorrow you'll take a rifle and get yourself nice and comfortable on one of those hills outside the village. You should be able to see just about everything from there and you'll be able to pick people off no problem." Her eyes softened a fraction. "You've always been a good shot with a rifle, Serah, ever since I first taught you. Just keep calm and you'll be fine."

"I know," Serah said before adding, in an attempt to lighten the mood, "I don't suppose I could bring some whiskey though? Just in case."

Lightning reached over to one side and tossed a bottle of whiskey into Serah's lap. "There you go."

"I figure she was joking, sheriff," Sazh said as he shot Serah a comforting look. "Still, it looks like we've got a plan."

"Yes, we do, now rest up, we move out at dawn." Lightning turned to Rikku. "I figure we can trust Zack, but keep an eye on him. If he tries anything funny, put those daggers of yours to use."

Rikku grinned happily. "Sure thing."

X X X

Serah watched the others getting ready and tried very hard to put on a smile. The last time she could ever remember feeling this scared was right after she and Lightning had lost their parents. Serah hadn't known what was going to happen then, and she didn't know what was going to happen now, either. Part of her wanted to just grab Lightning and never let go, but she knew that her sister would never allow that. All the same though, she couldn't help but wonder if they'd all make it through this okay. Lightning was strong, really strong, but she'd listened like everyone else the night before. There were a lot of hired guns waiting for them, not too mention the more dangerous folks that Hojo and Barthandelus had hired personally.

"Settle down, Serah. It'll be okay," Lightning said quietly.

Serah turned to look at Lightning. Lightning stood there cool and calm and utterly magnificent in the simple readiness that flowed through every line of her being. From the tips of her toes to the top of her head, Lightning seemed filled with a kind of carefully controlled intensity, like a spring just waiting to uncoil. It didn't matter one bit that it had begun to rain and that drops of water dotted Lightning's coat and her hat – the kind of fire inside Lightning now wasn't the kind that any amount of water could quench. This, Serah realised, was the woman the rest of the West saw, the woman who'd earned the name 'lightning' by being the fastest draw in the West. And with that realisation, any doubt that Serah felt about them getting through things okay fell away. They'd get through things okay because Lightning had said they would and when Lightning said something, Serah just knew it would be so.

Right next to Lightning was Fang, and Serah couldn't help but compare the two. If Lightning was all cool, deadly calm, Fang was almost the opposite. Fang's hands were shaking as she holstered her guns and checked her ammunition, but the wild grin on her face told Serah that it wasn't fear making her hands shake, it was anticipation. One way or another, Fang was going to settle things, things she'd been waiting a long, long time to deal with. Seeing Fang and Lightning standing side by side, Serah almost pitied the Cocoon folks fool enough to get in their way.

A little ways off, Rikku and Vanille were talking, the two of them all animated like they'd been born sisters. The red head was checking her shotgun and looking over some of her explosives – and she had a lot of explosives on her. Rikku seemed pretty keen on the explosives too, and Serah had a feeling that once everything was over, the Al Bhed girl would definitely be sure to get the recipe for those explosives off Vanille. That thought made her smile. It would be just their luck if they saved the village from Cocoon only for Vanille and Rikku to blow it to bits.

Further off were Quistis and Fujin. The two marshals were pretty quiet, most likely because Fujin had never really been one to talk, but they seemed relaxed enough, though the look in their eyes was all business. Beside them were Zack and Snow, and Serah felt her heart warm a little when Snow sent her a reassuring smile. He seemed to know just how she felt, and she smiled back, only to blush when Zack looked first at her then at Snow before he laughed and slapped Snow over the back with a few words of encouragement.

"You're looking a little shaky there," Sazh said as he walked up and settled down beside her. Kind as the words were, Serah could hear a little steel behind them, steel that hadn't been there yesterday. Sazh might be retired now, but he had been a bounty hunter once, quite a good one too, apparently.

Serah smiled weakly. "I guess… I guess I'm just a little scared is all."

Sazh chuckled softly and patted her on the back. "They don't show it, but I bet all of them are scared. Going up against as many hired guns as we're about to, you'd have to be crazy not to be at least a little bit scared." Serah nodded slowly. He was talking to her nice and easy, probably just the same way he talked to the son he had. "Do you want to know what I think about to settle down?"

Serah nodded. "If you wouldn't mind telling me."

"It's no problem." Sazh pointed at the end of her rifle. "Make sure you point that end at them."

Serah laughed. She couldn't help herself. It was such a poor joke that she couldn't help but find it funny. As everyone turned to stare, she managed to get a hold of herself. "That's some very insightful advice, Sazh. I'll be sure to keep it in mind."

He grinned. "See that you do." He glanced over his shoulder and saw that Lightning wanted to speak to Serah. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Serah," Lightning murmured. "I want you to listen closely okay?" She picked up the rifle and draped it over Serah's lap. Quickly, she checked it over. "Remember what I taught you, okay? This is a repeating rifle, so you don't need to reload after each shot. Make sure you count the shots though, that way you don't get caught off guard."

Serah nodded. "I'll remember that." Lightning had never been too good with dealing with emotions. Teaching Serah how to keep safe was Lightning's way of telling her the things she'd never been comfortable saying out loud.

"Now, remember, Serah, you don't shoot right away." Lightning's voice shook just a little and Serah reached out to put one hand over her sister's. "You've got to lead your target on just a little, take a breath, and then shoot. Okay? If you miss, don't panic. Take your time, line up the second shot and then fire." Lightning looked away and Serah smiled softly. "Also, you don't have to aim for the head. This rifle is power enough that anything in the chest ought to be good enough to either kill who you're shooting at, or hurt them so bad they won't be much use in a fight."

Serah put the rifle aside and wrapped her arms around Lightning's waist. "I'll remember all that." Lightning turned away, but Serah refused to let go. Instead, she pressed her face into Lightning's back. "I love you, Claire, make sure you come back safe."

Lightning nodded slowly. "I will." And then she eased Serah's arms off and came back with a dark grey cloth. "Tie this around the barrel of the gun, Serah. It's raining now, so the cloth will make you harder to see." She paused. "And try to get a position where you've got the sun at your back, that way, even if they do spot you, they'll be hard-pressed to aim."

"Okay," Serah said as she took the cloth and tied it quickly around the barrel of the rifle. "Now, how about you make sure you remember what I said? You've got to come back, Lightning, and don't do anything crazy."

Lightning smiled softly. "Don't worry, I said I'd come back, and I will. As for crazy." She glanced over at Vanille and Fang. "I figure those two can handle that part of things just fine."

Serah giggled. "I sure bet they can."

"All right," Lightning said as she took a quick look around at the group. "Everyone ready?" They all nodded. "In that case, let's get a move on."

With that, the two groups went their separate ways. Lightning, Fang, Vanille, and Sazh headed upriver toward the dam while the rest of them headed for the village. The last sight Serah had of Lightning was of the dawn light as it hit her sister's hair, a single patch of pink amidst all the grey and brown around them. Then Serah and the others were walking, the sound of their footsteps swallowed up by the rain as it poured down on them.

Serah stayed quiet the whole way to the village. There were patrols about that they needed to watch out for and she wasn't really in the mood to talk. Fortunately, it looked like Zack was telling the truth about where all the patrols were, because they didn't catch a glimpse of a single one until they were right in sight of the village.

"Can you set up there?" Quistis murmured as she pointed Serah to a spot on the hill where Serah could lie down flat on her stomach with her rifle propped up on a rock in front of her. The spot also had a good view of the village and, just like Lightning had suggested, it would put Serah's back to what little sun there was. "Well?"

Serah nodded. It was about seventy odd yards to the village, not the furthest she'd ever shot from, but with the rain and the fact that her targets would be moving it would be tricky, all the same. "I think so."

"Good, then get set up." Quistis looked at the others. "Fujin and I are going to go around to that side of the village. Zack and Rikku, I want you two to go to the other side of the village and wait for our signal. Snow, you head for the weapons wagons and hold up for our signal, as well." She met each of their gazes evenly. "Once you start freeing the Al Bhed, you need to tell them that they either stay and help, or they get out and get to higher ground."

"And me?" Serah asked. "What do I do?"

Quistis glanced at Snow. "Snow will have the trickiest job, since he's on his own. Those weapons wagons are going to be looked after pretty decently and if they realise that he's not one of them, there will be trouble." She smiled. "You're his guardian angel, Serah. If they shoot at him, you take them out."

Serah looked at Snow and wrapped her hands around the stock of her rifle. His life would be in her hands. "I won't miss."

"I know." Quistis looked at Rikku who had her hand up. "You got a question, Rikku?"

The Al Bhed girl nodded. "What's the signal going to be?"

Quitis grinned and waved around one of Vanille's explosives. "Fujin and I are carrying around a fair number of these – they make quite a bang. Trust me, Rikku, there's no way you'll miss us getting started."

Rikku tilted her head to one side and stretched one hand out toward Quistis. "I don't suppose you could give me a couple of those?"

Quistis thought it over for a moment and then handed a couple of explosives over. "There, but don't use these to try and bust people out of their houses. The way these things go off, you're more likely to blow them and their house up."

"I'll remember that." Rikku smirked. "Is that it then?"

"Yes, unless anyone else has anymore questions." Quistis nodded to each of them. "Then good. Now, get moving and remember, wait till you hear me and Fujin get things started."

As the others ran off to get into position, Serah could only settle down and wait. Each moment made her more and more nervous and to try and pass the time, she checked that all her spare ammunition was in order and that her pistol was loaded and ready. If worse came to worse and someone did get up close, the pistol would definitely come in handy. That done, she turned back to the village. Her breath came in short gasps and she had to reach up to wipe some rain off her brow.

Finally, ten minutes after the others had left, the first explosion rocked the village.

X X X

Fujin glanced ahead and then motioned for Quistis to stop. Her partner was a good marshal, but unlike Fujin, Quistis had always been on the right side of the law. Fujin hadn't, and there were things that she was good at that no regular marshal would be. Up ahead, the first of the patrols was headed their way, just like Zack had said it would be. Any gunfire now would give them away and make their life a whole lot harder than it already was. With one last firm glance at Quistis to make sure that the other woman knew not to move, Fujin palmed two knives, one from her belt, and the other from her boot.

She waited until the two hired guns on patrol were right on top of them before she moved. With a flick of her wrist, she threw one of her knives. The rain covered the hiss of the weapon as it streaked through the air and caught the first hired gun right in the throat. He gurgled and grasped at his ruined windpipe and then toppled into the mud with a wet thump. The sound drew the second hired gun's attention and he whipped around in panic. It was just the opening Fujin had been waiting for. As he opened his mouth to scream an alarm, she darted forward and clamped her hand over his mouth. His body tensed to try and throw her off but she slipped her second knife right in between his ribs. He thrashed for a moment and then went limp.

"TAKE," Fujin said as she stripped the men of their weapons and ammunition, and handed them to Quistis. Ignoring the startled look on the blonde's face, she gestured for Quistis to follow her.

"Where'd you learn how to do that?" Quistis asked quietly. "That's not something most marshals know how to do."

Fujin shrugged. "NOT ALWAYS MARSHAL." Her gaze flicked ahead to the next pair of hired guns on patrol. "TELL LATER."

As the next pair of hired guns closed in, Fujin pressed herself against one of the trees. The rain was getting louder; loud enough that there was no way that anyone would hear her moving around unless they knew to listen. She held back until the pair passed her and then burst into motion. She caught the first one by the neck and a sharp twist was all it took to put him down. The other hired gun turned, eyes wide with disbelief, and she drove the breath out of him with a solid kick to the gut. He doubled over and she stabbed down into the back of his neck with her knife. It was dirty fighting, all right, but this wasn't the kind of fight that she and the others could win fighting fair. Besides, she wasn't willing to risk Quistis getting all shot up because of some unwritten rules of fighting, rules that she just knew the hired guns wouldn't follow, anyway.

She wiped her knife clean and then waved Quistis forward. They were just outside the village now and she could make out a group of hired guns camped out under some makeshift gazebo. There were some tables set up and they looked to be enjoying some pretty lively games of cards.

"BOOM." Fujin pointed at the gazebo.

Quistis nodded and reached into her coat for an explosive. "You ready? Once I throw this, there's no backing out."

Fujin nodded. "READY."

Quistis lit the explosive and tossed it into the gazebo. It landed right at the feet of one of the hired guns and it him took a good, long moment to understand what it was. Then panic spread across his face and he opened his mouth to shout a warning but it was far, far too late. The explosive went off with a roar. Rain exploded outward and hired guns went flying every which way. Bits of burnt and broken timber rained down and hired guns came running in from all directions to see what had happened.

That was when Quistis and Fujin burst out of cover, guns blazing and throwing explosives like there was no tomorrow. The next round of explosions drowned out the sounds of their pistols as they gunned down any hired gun in sight that hadn't been tossed about by one of the explosives. Mud and water flew through the air along with bodies and bullets as they picked their way through all the craters and carnage that they'd left. Yet even with all of the ruckus, the hired guns had started to get themselves together and it wasn't long before they found themselves driven back as a deluge of gunfire headed their way. They took shelter behind an upturned wagon, but it wasn't long before they had to move on, the wagon's heavy wooden frame no match at all for the sheer number of bullets headed their way.

"You know," Quistis muttered as they dove out from behind the wagon and sprinted out onto one of the smaller village streets, "I think our distraction might have been a little too successful."

Fujin laughed and wiped some water off her face. Her hat was long gone, shot to bits along with the wagon. "YES."

They managed to make it halfway down the street before they ran into a whole swarm of hired guns. For a split-second, the two of them and the hired guns stared at each other before all hell broke lose. The hired guns fired first and suddenly it was all the pair of them could do to stay alive as they leapt for whatever cover they could find. They ended up behind a half-finished wall.

"You okay?" Quistis asked.

Fujin grit her teeth and reached down to her side. "FINE."

Quistis's eyes narrowed and she looked down to where Fujin's hand was. There was red there. "They got you."

Fujin made a disgusted sound. "NOTHING." She holstered her pistols and hefted her shotgun. "CAN FIGHT."

Quistis chuckled softly. "Never said otherwise." She glanced back over the wall and winced as more bullets nearly took her head off. "We'll go on the count of three, and Fujin, that better be the last time you get hit."

"DEFINITELY."

Quistis counted to three and then the two of darted away from the wall in separate directions. As half of the hired guns looked to put Quistis down, Fujin zigzagged forward through the gunfire headed in her direction and then opened fire. The jolt of the shot sent a ripple of pain down her side, but she forced it down. She could worry about pain later. A couple of hired guns hurtled back, blown to bits, and she lined up her next shot. The shotgun roared again and another couple of hired guns went down before she went back to her pistols. She fired until her pistols came up empty, but between her and Quistis they'd been able to take this batch of hired guns down.

"How's your side?" Quistis asked as they looked for cover in the shadows of what looked to be the village's only saloon.

Fujin winced. The wound wasn't much, just a flesh wound, really, but it pulled something fierce every time she moved too much in one direction. "FINE."

Quistis nodded. "It won't be long before they find us again, and we'd best be ready when they do." She got to work on reloading all her weapons and Fujin was quick to do the same. The heavy tromp of boots stomping through the mud grew closer and closer. "Looks like they're here. Let's go say hello."

Fujin nodded and they dashed across the street, firing as they went. They caught the crowd of hired guns off guard and with so many of them there, it wasn't like either of them had to aim – they could hardly miss. The first row of hired guns went down, but those behind were quick to fire back and the porch of the general store they ran to for cover went up in a shower of splintered wood and lead. As they crouched behind whatever they could find for cover – a metal table in Fujin's case and a couple of barrels for Quistis – Quistis reached into her coat for the last of Vanille's explosives.

"Wish we had more of these," Quistis said. "Really would have come in handy." With that she lit the explosive and then tossed at the hired guns.

However, the hired guns weren't completely witless. Most of them made a pretty good effort to get clear and only a couple got caught in the blast. Still, they were forced to back off and that was just the chance that Quistis and Fujin were waiting for. They darted back onto the street and blazed away at the hired guns. A few more hired guns went down before the two of them were forced to beat a pretty quick retreat down the street as more hired guns turned up with murder in their eyes.

They didn't get far though. At the other end of the street there was another group of hired guns with Cid at the front. His eyes met theirs for just a second before he lifted his pistol and fired three times, the shots so fast and close together that the sound of it was a single sustained roar. Quistis and Fujin flinched away, and the first two shots went wide, but the third caught Quistis in the left shoulder. The bullet went straight through and Quistis tumbled back onto the railing of one of the houses. As the other hired guns lined their shots up to take her down, Fujin grabbed Quistis and dove for cover.

"Damn it," Quistis groaned as the crouched down behind some upturned furniture. "Zack was right, Cid really is a good shot." She reached up to touch her shoulder and her hand came back red. On the upside though, she'd gotten lucky. The bullet had ripped through the flesh of her arm, but it had missed the bone, if only just. "Give me a second, Fujin. I'll see if I can move my arm." A hiss left Quistis's lips as she barely managed to get her arm up. "Or maybe not." She swallowed thickly. "I don't suppose you've got a plan, do you?"

Fujin peeked out from behind the furniture. The hired guns were holed up nice and pretty all around them. There were a lot of them too, and Cid had a patient on his face that told her he'd be more than happy to just wait to break them down nice and slow. "NO."

Quistis laughed and exchanged her pistol for the shotgun she was carrying. It would be pretty hard to use one-handed, but it wasn't like she couldn't miss when there were so many hired guns this close. "Well, let's hope that the others are getting things done on their end, otherwise, we really will end up dead." She pointed the shotgun out over the furniture and fired. An agonised scream and the sounds of boots looking for cover told her that she hadn't missed. "In the mean time, let's see if we can't mess these fellows up a little."

Fujin grinned and peeked over the furniture, her shotgun at the ready. "SURE."

X X X

On the other side of the village, Rikku and Zack were doing their best not to be noticed. Once all of the explosions and shooting had started, most of the hired guns had headed off the other way. The few that were left, they could deal with easily enough. After all, she was pretty handy with her daggers, and unlike guns, they didn't make all that much noise. To his credit though, Zack had helped a little too, with one hired gun taken out by a pretty accurately thrown stool.

"All right," Rikku said as she knelt down by the door of the first house. "Let's get started." Quickly, she went to on the door, fishing into the pouch she kept at her side for the tools she needed to get lock picked.

"You know," Zack said. "There are easier ways to get that door open."

"What?" Rikku growled. "I doubt you could pick the lock any faster."

Zack shrugged. "Never said I could." And then he shooed her out of the way. A second later, the door flew backward as he all but kicked it off its hinges. "Ladies first," he said with a grin as he flashed a quick bow in Rikku's direction.

Rikku rolled her eyes, but sketched a curtsy in return. No sooner was she through the door before the house's occupants ran up to her. They looked from her to Zack in obvious surprise. "Hey, how are you doing?" she asked.

The villager shook his head slowly. "Rikku? What are you doing here? What's going on?"

She grinned. "Long story shot, Cocoon's trying to kill us all and Zack and I here, along with a couple of friends, are seeing if maybe we can't kill them first." She handed the villager a gun she'd pilfered from one of the downed hired guns. "You can either help fight, or you can head for the hills, but either way, don't just stand there looking all surprised."

The villager took the gun and took a step toward the door. "Wait, how will I know who's on our side?"

Rikku chuckled. "If they're shooting at Cocoon, they're on our side, if they're shooting at you, they're not." She patted him on the shoulder. "Now get going and see if you can't bust some more of us out, okay?"

After that they went from house to house in a hurry. She didn't know long Quistis and Fujin could keep all those hired guns occupied, and she'd rather not have to explain to Lightning how they ended up dead on her watch. Most of the villagers they freed were pretty happy to help – being locked up for four days with guns pointed at them tended to do that people – but she was pretty quick to tell those with children to just get out and hide in the hills.

"You're in a pretty big rush," Zack said as they darted along one of the village streets. A hired gun popped up, but Zack fire twice and the man went down. In all of the ruckus, a couple of gunshots probably wouldn't be noticed. "You looking for someone?"

Rikku scowled. "What if I am?"

"Nothing," Zack said. "Just asking is all."

"Well, I am." Rikku's hands tightened around her daggers. "I'm looking for Lulu. She runs the school at the end of this street. She's a really good friend of mine and they locked a lot of the kids up with her too." She looked at Zack out of the corner of her eye. "Now, hurry up."

They reached the end of a street in a hurry and then had to scramble for some place to hide. There were a fair number of hired guns still in position there and they shared a quick look before they decided to go for it. They burst out of cover together and Zack opened fire as Rikku closed in. A few bullets dropped two of the hired guns and had the others looking for cover. Rikku caught one of them out in the open and he barely had enough time to scream before she had one dagger across his throat and the other in his side. He tumbled to the ground and Rikku got stuck into the next man. He managed to block her daggers with the rifle he was carrying and he used his size to shove her to the ground. Still, Rikku was used to fighting people bigger than her and she was used to fighting dirty too. She scooped up a clod of mud and flung it into the hired gun's face. He let loose a cry and his shot went wide as Rikku leapt to her feet and lashed out at his chest with her daggers. With a growl, she shoved the hired gun away and turned to deal with the last of them only to find that he was already dead, a hole right in the middle of his forehead.

Zack patted some of the mud off her back. "How about we head inside?"

It was quiet inside the school, much too quiet for Rikku's liking and she put one finger up to her lips and looked at Zack. "There must be more of them inside. Keep quiet."

They snuck past the first room of the school and then into the second room out the back, but there was still no sign of anyone. Finally, in the third room, Rikku caught sight of Lulu and the kids, all of them tied up and gagged. She grinned. Lulu had a pretty sharp tongue on her and if she had to guess, they'd gagged her just to put a stop to it. However, the grin fell off her face as she saw Lulu's eyes go wide and then focus on something behind her.

Rikku ducked just in time to dodge the bullet that would have taken her head off as someone crashed into Zack and knocked him back into the wall. Blindly, she kicked up and back and she heard the hired gun behind her grunt as her kick caught him in the stomach. She cursed and looked back before she swiped at his wrist with one of her daggers. The blade of the weapon caught him across the wrist and the gun clattered to the ground. But before she could press her advantage, he lunged forward and caught her with a sound blow right across the jaw. Stars exploded across her vision and she skidded back along the floor.

"Damn that hurt," the hired gun muttered as he stalked toward her. Blood dripped down his wrist and onto the ground and Rikku saw his lips curl into a snarl. "I'll pay you back good and proper for that little cut of yours."

He lunged forward again and with her head still hurting something fierce, she was scarcely able to avoid another punch that would have had her out for good. As it was, the blow caught her across the shoulder with enough force to spin her around. One of her daggers dropped, the arm that the hired gun had hit almost completely numb. Shaking her head to clear it, she backed away from another punch and then sidestepped a kick. For all his size, the hired gun was fast, and she had to scramble to keep up as he continued to lay into her with punches and kicks. The fight carried them across the room right next to Lulu and the others and as Rikku back away again, Lulu stuck one leg out. The hired gun tripped over Lulu's outstretched leg and Rikku seized her chance. She leapt forward and rammed her dagger into the hired gun's gut. He gave a low groan and she twisted the blade before she yanked it up and across. A wet gurgle left his lips and then his eyes rolled back into his head and he fell to the floor.

"Well, that could have gone better," Rikku murmured as she looked over to where Zack was. He'd just finished up with his own hired gun and from the looks of things, he hadn't had an easy time of it either. "Come on, Zack, we need to get everyone free."

Once they'd gotten all the kids and Lulu freed up, the first thing Rikku did was throw herself at the older woman.

"Lulu!" Rikku squealed. "You're okay!"

Lulu smiled indulgently and ran one hand through Rikku's hair. "I'm fine, although I can't say the same for you." She pulled away and ran one hand over Rikku's jaw. "He hit you pretty hard there, Rikku."

Rikku shrugged. "Well, he's dead, so I guess that means I win."

Lulu chuckled. "Yes, I suppose it does." She drew back and eyed the mess that Rikku had left on her dress. "You're also covered in blood."

"Oh." Rikku glanced down at her top, which was covered in blood and then at the matching stain all over Lulu's black and grey dress. "I am so sorry about that, Lulu."

"It can't be helped, I suppose." Lulu looked over at the downed man's pistol and picked it up before she turned to Zack. "Am I to understand that you're on our side now, Mister Fair?"

Rikku's eyes narrowed and she looked from Zack to Lulu. "You two know each other?"

"Oh, yes," Lulu said dryly. "He attempted to be quite charming while he was here."

Zack grimaced. "You can't really blame a man for trying, now can you?"

Rikku stomped over to Zack and punched him in the arm. He gave a wince and gave her a shocked look. "Don't give me that look!" Rikku growled. "I can't believe you were flirting while you were locking people up!"

Zack sighed. "Look, never mind that. We've got more people to free, right?" Rikku nodded. "So, let's get on to that then."

"Right." Rikku looked at Lulu. "There's a lot of fighting go on outside, Lulu, so you should probably take the kids and just get out of the village. Head for the hills and don't come down until one of us comes up to tell you it's safe."

Lulu nodded. "All right."

Zack looked at her and grinned. "You know, I could always escort you out to the hills…" He trailed off as a hired gun stumbled into the room only to be dropped a second later.

"I don't think that will be necessary, Mister Fair." Lulu lowered her pistol, the barrel still smoking. "I can look after myself just fine."

"I guess so." Zack's grin widened. "I guess so."

As Zack and Rikku left the school and headed back out into the village, they were pretty pleased to see that a fair number of villagers had joined the fight. Most of them had armed themselves with guns taken from fallen hired guns, but there were others who were simply charging into the fray with planks of wood or bits of furniture. It was a drop down, drag out brawl, and the rain only added to the chaos as villagers and hired guns alike started to slip in it. However, as they were headed to the next house, Zack stopped and stared down another street.

"What's the hold up, Zack, come on!" Rikku said.

Zack shook his head and pointed down the street. There were a whole lot of hired guns there along with Cid. "Look at that," Zack said, eyes narrowed. "I'll bet they've got Quistis and Fujin boxed in there, that's the only reason there'd be so many of them in one spot." He glanced sideways at Rikku. "You keep on freeing your people, Rikku. I'll deal with this."

Rikku nodded slowly and then reached over to hand Zack the explosives that Quistis had given her earlier. "Here," she said. "Take these. I figure you'll need them more than me."

Zack inclined his head. "That's pretty nice of you."

Rikku shrugged. "What can I say? You're not that bad a man, I guess." She turned and headed back down the street. "Try not to die, Zack."

He chuckled. "Wouldn't dream of it." And with the explosives in hand, he stalked toward Cid and the clump of hired guns. Time to settle things.

X X X

Snow got pretty close to the weapons wagons without all that much effort. Like Lightning had said, he looked just like one of the hired guns. It didn't hurt either that Quistis and Fujin were running around blowing everything up and that the Al Bhed had started to join the battle. In fact, he couldn't have been more than twenty yards from the weapons wagons before one of the hired guns finally realised that he didn't fit.

"Stop right there!" the hired gun growled as he and the three others beside him reached for their guns.

Snow beat the first hired gun to the draw and dropped him with a shot that hit him just under the collar of his shirt. The second hired gun fired and Snow had to back off, a curse on his lips as the bullet blew a hole in his coat. The third and fourth fired a second later, and Snow was forced back behind some cover. He peered out for a moment and then fired as the hired guns scrambled to get clear. He hit two of them and the third tripped in the mud. Before he could find his feet again, Snow put a bullet in him.

Taking a quick look around to make sure that there weren't any more hired guns, Snow went over to the wagons. Just like he'd expected, they were jammed full of weapons. He grimaced. If the hired guns could get their hands on these, they'd definitely be able to make things harder for the Al Bhed. Still, now that he was here, that wasn't too likely.

Click.

Snow's eyes widened and he turned slowly to find himself staring right down the barrel of a gun. He must not have looked closely enough earlier, because there was a hired gun in front of him right now.

"You got any last words?" the hired gun asked, his lips curled into a grin.

Snow looked up at the cloudy sky as the rain gathered on his face and then opened his mouth to speak –

Bang.

The hired gun flew backward, a hole blown right through his heart. Startled, Snow could only look around and around to try and work out what had happened. And then he remembered. His eyes darted up to the hill behind him where, if he really squinted, he could just make out a rifle propped up on a rock, its barrel wrapped in a grey cloth. That's right, he thought with a steadily widening grin. He had his own guardian angel up there, one with one heck of a smile and the prettiest blue eyes he'd ever seen.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted two more hired guns headed his way and he lifted his gun to take them down. He needn't have bothered. Two shots rang out, crisp and clear through all the rain and muck, and the two hired guns dropped. Guardian angel? Who was he kidding? Inside that little frame of hers, Serah had the heart of a valkyrie.

He shot a grateful glance up at the hill and then quickly spoke up as two Al Bhed appeared.

"Hold up!" he shouted as the pair of them raised their makeshift weapons at him. "I'm on your side." He took out a pair of shotguns and tossed them toward the Al Bhed along with some ammunition. "You know how to use those?"

The Al Bhed looked at him for a moment and then scooped the weapons up. "Of course."

"Good," Snow said. "Then get in there and let your friends now that I've got weapons here that they could be using."

X X X

Up on the hill, Serah had to force herself to breathe. Pulling the trigger just a few minutes ago had been just about the scariest thing she'd ever done. When Snow had first gone after the weapons wagons, she'd frozen up, too scared to do anything. But when that man had gotten behind Snow and pointed his gun at him, something inside of her had just snapped. She liked Snow, really liked him, and maybe it was too early to be talking about things like love, but somehow the word just felt right to her. Well, she'd never shot anyone before, but she was a Farron and no Farron worth her salt would ever let the man she loved get shot while she could do something about it.

So she'd fired and she'd gotten that hired gun right through the heart. As he'd hurtled backward, tossed off his feet by the power of the rifle, she'd gone numb, totally, and utterly numb. And then she'd felt sick, like her stomach was twisting in on itself and there was a hammer pounding away on the inside of her skull. She'd killed someone, she realised, not just shot at them – she'd actually killed them. But then she'd seen those two other hired guns coming up on Snow and before she knew it, she'd knocked them off, as well.

Did that make her a monster?

No, she thought. She hadn't wanted this, hadn't enjoyed killing one bit. She just… she just wanted all the people she cared about to go back home together and if… if she had to kill these hired guns to do it, then she supposed she would, even if it made her feel worse than anything she'd ever done. So as more Al Bhed came up to Snow for weapons, she kept a close eye on the area around him. If she was going to do this, she was going to do it the way she did everything – the right way.

Still, she thought as she glanced down at the bottle of whiskey beside her, once this was all over, she'd probably a drink or two… or ten.

X X X

Zack lobbed the explosives and watched as the hired guns scrambled to get clear. Some of them made it, but just like he'd thought, Quistis and Fujin were holed up right there and they took care of most of them. As the dust settled and the rain began to pick up, he peered down the street. Cid was there as calm as ever, his tall frame ready to move at a moment's notice.

"I figured it was you," Cid said so softly that Zack had to struggle to pick the words up over the rain. "After all, they knew just how to hit us."

Zack glanced sideways at the houses around them. Somehow, it looked like it was just the two of them. "Actually, I wasn't the only one." He let his hands drop to just above his holsters. "We missed one of the Al Bhed. She watched for quite a spell, knew almost as much as I did. I just helped them along a little."

Cid reached down for his own guns, his fingers just shy of the handles. "Why'd you do it, Zack? It didn't have to be this way."

"Why?" Zack chuckled. "I think you know why, Cid." He looked around. Even if things turned out all right, it'd take a fair spell to fix up all the damage they'd done to the village. "What you're doing… it's not right, and you know it."

"This isn't about right or wrong, Zack. We have a job to do." Cid's eyes narrowed. "You knew how things would be like when you signed up."

"Maybe I did," Zack said. "But a man's got to stand for something if he's going to be worth a damn." He sighed. "But you know that, Cid, you're a good man, not the kind of man who'd murder a whole bunch of innocent people – women and children too."

Cid shifted slightly and widened his stance. "Progress, Zack. Cocoon means progress and progress never comes without sacrifice."

"You don't believe that," Zack growled. "That sounds like something Yaag would say. So, what's the reason, Cid? You owe me that much before we settle this."

Cid closed his eyes for a moment and when they opened they were hard, all steel. "You ever wonder how somebody like me could end up where I am, Zack?" His voice barely carried across the distance between them, each word nearly swallowed up by the rain. "I didn't have anybody growing up, Zack, not a damn person to call friend or family but now… now I earn more money in a year than most people earn in their lives. More than that, I know to handle myself. I can use a gun and I can run a business. How do you think all that happened, Zack? I'll tell you. Barthandelus took me in, Zack, took me in when I was some no good dumb kid. He taught me everything I know and good or bad, he's the closest thing I've got to a father so even if I don't like how this is going, Zack, I owe him."

Zack nodded slowly. He'd suspected as much. "Maybe you do owe him, but that doesn't mean that he owns you. You do this, Cid, and you'll never be able to live with yourself."

"Maybe." Cid shrugged. "But that's my choice to make."

"I guess it is." Zack smiled sadly. "No turning back then?"

Cid shook his head. "No."

For a long moment, neither of them moved, and then, almost as one, they went for their guns. The roar of their gunshots filled the street and as it faded away like sunshine on a cloudy day, Cid staggered back, blood all over his right arm. His gun slipped from suddenly numb fingers and he reached with his left hand for his other gun only for Zack to fire again. That shot was a mirror of the first and as Cid dropped to his knees in the mud, he could only stare up at Zack and shake his head.

"Why didn't you kill me?" Cid asked.

Zack grinned and did his best not to double over. Cid had gotten him good, a nice shot a couple of inches above his belt. It probably wouldn't be fatal – and Zack had been shot enough times to know – but damn if it didn't hurt. As quickly as he could, he walked over to Cid.

"I figure it's only fair, seeing as how you let me go the other day," Zack said. Cid's eyes widened and then Zack whipped his gun around to clip him on the side of the head. Cid dropped to the ground unconscious. "Damn," Zack muttered as he considered his friend's large frame. "I probably shouldn't have done that. Now, I'm going to have drag you around, damn it." He sighed and then dragged Cid over to a clump of bushes to hide him. "Now, stay here. Once this whole thing is over, I'll come back and get you, that should make us even." He chuckled. "Hell, it might even turn out okay, seeing as how if Cocoon ends up surviving all of this, you'll probably end up running the damn thing."

X X X

Quistis and Fujin staggered down one of the village streets together. Most of the hired guns had either been killed or run for it, but there were still a fair number of them fighting. The Al Bhed seemed to be doing okay though, so Quistis figured it would be fine if she and Fujin took things a bit easier.

"How are you doing?" Quistis asked. Her shoulder was still a mess and she'd picked up a whole host of lesser wounds to go with it too.

Fujin made a face. "FINE."

Quistis grinned. Fujin had done her best to look out for her when they'd pinned down by Cid and his hired guns, but even if the silver haired woman looked like she was about to collapse, Quistis knew she'd never admit it. Heck, Fujin would probably say she was fine even if she was missing a limb or two.

"Well, just hold on a little longer," Quistis said. "I figure we've got this just about won."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that."

Quistis looked up and frowned. Yaag Rosch was right there and from the looks of things, the silver haired man wasn't too happy. His coat had a fair few holes in it along with a couple of scorch marks. There was blood on his face from a cut on his brow and his shirt was a little redder than it should be too.

"It's been a while, Yaag," Quistis said. "Haven't seen you since you parted ways with Nabaat."

His lips curled into a snarl. "You've got a lot of nerve talking like that, Quistis." He pointed his gun at her and Fujin. "Look at you two, you can barely stand."

Quistis pushed Fujin away and steadied herself. There were two of them, so if they split up then even if he got one of them, then the other could put him down. "You're just like Nabaat, Yaag, way to quick to pull the trigger and not a single scrap of brains between your ears."

That was all it took. With a growl, Yaag levelled his pistol at Quistis and fired. She threw herself to the side and the bullet grazed her arm. In the same moment, Fujin had her gun up only for Yaag to blow it right out of her hands. Disbelief flashed in Fujin's eye before she gathered up what strength she had and hurled herself at Yaag.

The pair of them tumbled to the ground in a tangle of fists and feet. Fujin ended up on top and drove one fist into Yaag's face with enough force to break his nose and slam his head back into the mud. However, before she could land another blow, Yaag lashed out blindly and caught Fujin with a sharp hit across her wounded side. The crimson-eyed woman doubled over and Yaag shoved her back.

"Stay down!" Yaag growled as he landed a savage kick to Fujin's gut that lifted her off the ground and tossed her out of the way.

"You leave her alone!" Quistis spat as she stumbled over at Yaag to try and cut him off before he land anything else on Fujin.

"You're all beat, marshal," Yaag sneered. "Why don't you just quit?"

Quistis grit her teeth as he blocked her attacks with ease and then elbowed her in the face. She spun away and barely managed to keep on her feet. If only she wasn't so banged up she could take him and she knew for a fact that Fujin would have made short work of him if she hadn't been so injured too. But there was no point in thinking about 'what ifs'. Shaking her head, Quistis waded forward again, cursing the fact the fact that she only one good arm, only for Yaag to slam one fist into her chin before he drove one boot into her chest with enough force to throw her onto the porch of the house beside them. She landed heavily on her wounded shoulder and gave an agonised wail.

For a second, Quistis was sure she would pass out, but she managed to drag enough air into her lungs to keep awake. As she fumbled for something to help her stand, her hand closed around something familiar. It was a whip. Long before she'd used a gun, she'd learned how to use a whip and as Yaag closed in on Fujin again, Quistis forced herself to stand and draw the whip back.

"You about done?" Yaag asked as he kicked Fujin again. Blood bubbled up from the wound in her side and he smirked. Easy. "Well?"

He was about to kick Fujin again when something lashed out and coiled around his neck. His hands dropped to his neck and his eyes widened as he followed the whip back to Quistis. The blonde had a savage grin on her face.

"Yaag, I've got one thing to say to you," Quistis pointed in front of him. "Eyes front."

He looked back and took a slow step back. Somehow, Fujin was back on her feet. The woman's lone eye was narrowed ominously and as he tried to get his hands up to defend himself, Quistis gave the whip a sharp yank. The breath rushed out of him and he managed to get out a strangled gasp before Fujin's fist rammed into his gut.

Barely conscious, Fujin laid into Yaag with everything she had left. As he doubled over, she kneed him in the face and then shoved him away so that she could hit him flush on the chin with a pair of punches. As the whip around his neck loosened and fell away, she took several big steps forward and hurled herself at him in a kick. The blow knocked him up and back through the front window of the house behind him. Glass went everywhere and she took an unsteady step backward, only to stop dead as Quistis hobbled over to catch her.

"You've got to teach me how to do that," Quistis muttered as she helped Fujin right herself.

Fujin nodded. "LATER." She glanced at the whip still in Quistis's hand and grinned shakily. "NICE."

"Well, I'm a bit rusty," Quistis said. "I was kind of hoping to break his neck." She glanced at the broken window. "Let's go take a look."

However, when they looked inside there was no sign of Yaag. He hadn't gotten away unscathed though. He must have cut himself something awful on the glass because there was a thick trail of blood that led across the floor and out the backdoor of the house.

"Let him run," Quistis said. "We can catch up to him later."

Fujin nodded. "DEFINITELY."

Just then cheers began to ring out through the village, cheers that were most definitely in Al Bhed.

Quistis looked at Fujin. "Can you believe it? It looks like we won." She groaned. "Come on then, we need to get out of here and head for the hills just in case things at the dam don't work out well."

The two of them managed to get to the end of the street before they caught sight of the others. Quistis had always thought that Snow was a pretty decent fellow, but when her offered to help both her and Fujin along, he went from decent to downright excellent.

"You're a real gentleman, Snow," Quistis said.

Snow shrugged and then winced as he noticed just beat up the two of them really were. "Well, I figured it was the least I could do, seeing as how you and Fujin decided to play decoy for us." He frowned. "You two going to be okay?"

Fujin nodded. "FINE."

Quistis rolled her eyes. "We're not fine, but with a bit of rest and plenty of stitches, we probably will be." She looked down at her shoulder. "Definitely plenty stitches."

"I guess." Snow looked at the hill to where Serah was. "Just hold on, it won't be too long now." But Quistis never heard his words. She'd passed out. "Aw, damn." He looked at Zack. "Could you help, Fujin? I've got to carry Quistis."

Zack grinned. "Why, I'd love to…" he trailed off at the dark look Fujin gave him. "Or maybe not." He looked back at the village. "Actually, you all head on ahead. There's something I have to take care of." He turned and headed back into the village. "Don't worry, I'll meet you up there on the hill."

Rikku cackled as he walked away. "You're about the least popular person I've ever met, Zack." She waved happily at Fujin, which was a mite disturbing considering how much blood was on her. "Come on over here, Fujin, I'll help you along."

X X X

**Author's Notes**

As always, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off this.

Well, this chapter came out a little bit later than expected, but in exchange, it's also the longest chapter so far, so I guess that makes it even. This chapter was definitely a great deal of fun to write. There's nothing like one big, non-stop fight scene to round a chapter out, and it's been something I've been itching to do for a while.

A couple of things are probably worth mentioning. Zack is a character that I've always found pretty interesting. He's very loyal to his friends, but at the same time, he's also willing to stand up for the things that he believes are right. That's why he's willing to side with Lightning and the others (of course, it's also his only reasonable chance of settling things with Cocoon and Shinra), but that also why he didn't kill Cid.

As for Cid, I thought it would be appropriate to have him owe everything he was to Cocoon and to Barthandelus, in particular. It fits very nicely with how the people of Cocoon, and Cid especially, are essentially forced to become the pawns of Barthandelus and the other fal'Cie in the game. The sense of duty and loyalty that make Cid a good man are the very things that allow others to take advantage of him.

With regards to Lulu, I cannot even begin to describe how tempting it was to have her throwing lightning at everybody. However, this is a Western and given that no one else seems to have overtly magical powers, I had to scrap that idea. Still, I can easily imagine her as a teacher – the scary one that you listen to due to a combination of awe and terror. I always thought that she and Rikku got along pretty nicely in FF X (once Rikku had kind of worked out that Lulu wasn't actually that scary) and I wanted to keep it that way in this story.

Finally, I couldn't resist adding a teensy, squint if you want to see it, bit of Serah and Snow fluff. I have, perhaps, been a bit remiss in that regard and I thought it would be nice to slip a little bit in. It didn't hurt either that I got to have Serah be awesome for a couple of paragraphs. After seeing the trailer for FF XIII-2 I briefly considered letting her use a bow, but after a bit of reflection, I concluded that was probably not a good idea. That she knows how to shoot is perfectly plausible – Lightning did teach her – but a bow is not something she would really have come across before. In any case, it was nice to have her actually do something rather than use Snow as human shield again (however humorous Lightning might find that).

As usual, here is a round up of where some of the characters are from. Zack and Hojo are from FF VII, Rikku and Lulu are from FF X, Quistis and Fujin and from FF VIII, and Snow, Serah, Lightning, Fang, Vanille, Sazh, Barthandelus, Jihl, Cid, and Yaag are all from FF XIII.

Oh, and if you're wondering where Lightning, Fang, Vanille, and Sazh are, don't worry. That's the next chapter.

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	30. Chapter 30

**The Ghosts of Oerba**

Fang pressed herself low against the ground and looked down over the top of the ridge. "Well, isn't that just a pretty picture?"

"I wouldn't say that," Lightning murmured as she followed Fang's gaze. "But at least now we know that Quistis and Fujin were right, and that Zack wasn't lying."

Fang glanced sideways at Lightning. "I guess that's one way to put it. Her eyes narrowed just a fraction, though her voice remained light and easygoing. "There's a lot of them down there. I'm beginning to wonder if we've got enough bullets."

Rather than say anything, Lightning just tossed a scowl her way, and Fang took one last look at things before the two of them crept back behind some cover. Just like they'd expected, the dam and the area around it were crawling with trouble. On their side of the river, there were two rows of rundown, weather-beaten buildings to worry about with the only ways past them a muddy street that ran through the middle and two narrows trails that were on either side. If she had to put her money on anything, she'd say that's where most of the hired guns were staying until Cocoon got its business done. Past the buildings was the dam itself. It was a huge thing, all dull grey with a surface scarred and pitted in places by years of hard rains. What really caught her eye though was the scaffolding that covered most of the dam. There were five levels, leading all the way from the lower riverbank, right up to the top of the dam.

They'd seen some people moving around at the top of the dam and Fang had a pretty good feeling that two of them were Hojo and Barthandelus. It was the safest place for cowards like them to be, since reaching them would mean fighting past all the hired guns in the buildings and then all the hired guns on the scaffolding. They'd seen the explosives too, big barrels tied together and pressed right up against the dam in several places. Vanille reckoned they would probably all be connected to a single main fuse, and when it came to blowing things up, there probably wasn't a person alive whose judgement she trusted more than the red head's. Still, they'd gotten there in time, because it didn't look like all of the explosives were in place yet, although it probably wouldn't be long now.

Back on the other side of the ridge, Vanille and Sazh were waiting for them.

"From the look on the sheriff's face, I'm guess that things were about as bad as we thought they'd be," Sazh drawled. He sighed and rubbed his temples. "And here I was hoping that this might actually end up pretty boring." A weak grin crossed his face. "Although I can't really say I've had a boring day in my life since I ran into you and Vanille."

"Well, you know what they say." Fang smirked. "May you live in interesting times and all that." Her voice sobered a little. "But, yes, you're right, it doesn't look too good. We're going to have to fight our way past a whole street of buildings and then all the way to the top of that scaffolding."

"I don't suppose we could sneak around or something, could we?" Sazh asked. "Maybe cross the river and skip past those buildings?"

Fang pointed over to the river and shook her head. Even with the dam still in place, the great downpour over the past few weeks had it close to bursting its banks. It was one big angry mass of roiling water, the kind that just about scream horrible death. "You want to try crossing that?"

Sazh grimaced. "I take your point."

"So, how are we going to do this then?" Vanille asked. She had her shotgun slung over her shoulder and a jaunty sort of grin on her face, but Fang knew her well enough to see that she was nervous, real nervous. The red head might like blowing things to bits, not to mention she had a tricky streak in her a mile wide, but she'd been in the business with Fang long enough to know what the odds were, and frankly they weren't good.

Fang glanced at Lightning. The two of them had talked things over plenty on the way there along with the night before too. They'd both come to the conclusion that there really was only one way they could pull this off. "We've got at least another hour before they're ready to blow the dam, I think. Our only choice is to just go right in there and stop them before they can." Sazh's face made it pretty clear what he thought about that idea, but Fang pressed on. "The way I see it, Cocoon's only got once chance at this. If they blow those explosives and the dam doesn't go down, then they're going to have to get set up again before they can give it another go. That'd take them a lot of time – more time than they've got, really – so they've got to get things right the first time, or not at all."

"So, we're just going to go in there, guns blazing and kill the lot of them?" Sazh chuckled. "That doesn't even sound like a plan."

Fang shrugged and looked them all in the eye. "You're right, as plans go, it's not much of one, but if anyone's got something better, I'd sure like to hear it." No one said a thing. "In that case, here's how Lightning and I have things figured." She led them back to the top of the ridge and pointed things out as she talked the plan over. "Vanille, you're with me. We'll be handling the left side of the street, the one near the river. Lightning and Sazh, you'll be worrying about the other side of the street." Fang looked at Vanille. "You know how I'm always telling you not to blow things up?" Vanille nodded and Fang smirked. "Well, forget I ever said any of that. There's a lot of them, more than we've got bullets, so when we get down there, you're going to have to light them up, really put on a show. Just make sure you don't get us blown up too." Vanille's grin was almost too big to fit on her face. "Lightning, Sazh, wait till Vanille gets things started. Once everything starts going to hell, those hired guns are going to come out of those buildings looking for a fight. That's when you get them. After that we head for the scaffolding, see if we can't make it there in decent shape." She pointed to how the scaffolding spanned the full breadth of the dam and actually led across to the other side of the river. "We want to get to the top of that scaffolding, but there'll be more hired guns on the other side of the river. Someone's going to have to hang back to hold them off."

Lightning inclined her head at Sazh. "That'll be you and me." She didn't bother to tell him why it had to be them. Vanille and Fang had a score to settle with Cocoon, so it was only right that they be the ones to head up to the top of the dam to see things through to the finish. Still, there was a fair bit of worry in Sazh's eyes, and Lightning could hardly blame him. Vanille and Fang were just two people, no matter how good, and there were a lot of hired guns up there. "Don't worry," she said softly. "Once we've got things quietened down, we can head up top to join them."

Sazh nodded grimly. "I guess that's the only way to do it then." He shook his head slowly and then grinned. "Looks like we really will have to pick our shots though, otherwise we really will run out of bullets." No one laughed. "Not too funny a joke, I guess."

Lightning quirked one brow. "I didn't think you were joking." A faint smile crossed her lips. "But thanks for trying."

Fang rolled her eyes and cuffed Sazh lightly over the shoulder. "Come up with something better next time, Sazh." She looked at the others. "You all ready?" They nodded and a smirk spread across her face. "Then let's go pick a fight."

The group crept down from the ridge, careful to keep close to cover as Fang and Vanille headed to the left, and Lightning and Sazh went right. Although they'd have to fight sooner or later, they wanted to keep out of sight until they were ready to get things started on their terms. That was easier said than done though, with a couple of patrols out and about, and the occasional hired gun out for some fresh air.

"Keep close," Fang said to Vanille as they closed in on the first group of buildings, almost near enough now to pick out the faces of those inside. "And I mean keep close." There was a bit of lightness to her tone, but some hardness too. She'd come this far with Vanille. It'd just about kill her to lose the red head now.

"Right." Vanille nodded, and trailed in Fang's shadow as the older woman led them from tree to tree and then across the last bit of open ground before the shabby fence just in front of the buildings. They were over the fence in a heartbeat and as they dropped down on the other side, they saw that Lightning and Sazh were over the fence on their side too.

Fang looked over to see Vanille's gaze on the others. "Vanille," she murmured softly. "I'm not trying to be mean, but you can't worry about them now." The red head's eyes widened and Fang held up one hand to cut her off. "I know… I'm worried about them too, real worried, but right now, we can't get distracted." She smiled and took Vanille's hand in hers. "And don't forget, they're not exactly push overs. Lightning's about as tough as they come and Sazh that old bag of bones is too tough to die over something as silly as all this. Now, let's get going."

As they reached the first building, a hired gun came around the corner. He was probably looking for some fresh air, although Fang wasn't sure how fresh the air could be with all this rain pelting down. His eyes were on the cigar he was trying to get lit, and with the rain striking drumbeats on the roofs nearby, he never had a chance as Fang rushed forward and grabbed him from behind. The cigar dropped from his mouth and he kicked wildly, but she had one hand over his mouth and the other around his neck. His boots slipped in the mud and before he could get himself right again, Fang wrenched his head to the side.

"I'll go and take a look around," Fang said as she dropped the body into the mud. "Get your explosives ready and get a route mapped out in your head. Once I'm sure the coast is clear, we're going to liven things up a little."

Vanille nodded eagerly. "Keep safe, Fang," she said as the other woman headed off behind the buildings along the trail right up next to the river. Turning her gaze to the body, Vanille sighed and reached down to grab the man by the ankles. It probably wouldn't be too good to leave him out in the open like that.

With Vanille back behind some cover, Fang snuck along the backs of the buildings. It would probably take the red head at least a couple of minutes to get things ready, but if everything worked out, they might get lucky and take out most of the buildings on this side of the street in one go. That would make their lives a heck of a lot easier, and it'd draw the hired guns on the other side of the street out into the open for Lightning and Sazh to pick off. Hopefully, Sazh and Lightning could stay out sight until then.

As she came up to the next building, she caught sight of another hired gun. For a moment, the two of them locked eyes and then he dropped the bag he was carrying and went for his gun. Fang didn't bother reaching for hers. Instead, she palmed a knife and threw it. Bullets might be faster than knives at long ranges, but they couldn't have been more than fifteen yards apart. Knives were quieter too. The knife caught him right in the eye, and he died with his hand halfway to his holster. The body made a wet thump as it slumped into the mud, and she quickly got the body out of sight so that she could search him for anything useful.

From there, she continued on down the trail. The river was right there, only a few yards away, and while she was grateful that it and the rain made it hard to hear her going along, it made it hard for her to hear people too. Along the way, she took a quick glimpse through the back window of each building. There were weapons in one, a makeshift saloon in another, and even what looked to be a general store of some kind. But in all of them, there were hired guns keeping themselves busy. The rain had made everyone miserable, and she had a feeling that even if they'd been told to keep an eye out, no one really wanted to be out and about. Besides, who'd be crazy enough to attack in weather like this? Fang grinned. She and the others were more than crazy enough for that. Still, things were looking pretty good, and if she and the others played their cards right, the hired guns wouldn't know what was going on until explosives were going off all over the place.

Halfway down the trail, she ran into her next bit of trouble. There were four hired guns ahead, most likely a patrol of some kind. Fang smiled thinly. She had to hand it to them. Most people forgot to patrol trails like this that were small and muddy and out behind the buildings. They were headed right for her and she quickly hid behind a half-broken shed. Four men was a lot to take care of without making a sound, even for her, but it wasn't like she had much choice.

She waited until they were just about level with her and then lashed out with one foot. The kick caught the lead man right in the jaw and he went down, already out for the duration. The others scrambled to fight back and she hurled her knife, still bloody from before, into the throat of one before she caught another with an elbow flush across the chin. He staggered and she landed an uppercut flush right on the point of his jaw to knock him out. The last hired gun had taken the chance to run, tearing down the alley at a pace too fast to let him do much more than pant. For a moment, Fang almost went for her gun, but then she spotted a rock down by her feet. A grin crossed her face as she remember the way Lightning had taken a hired gun out with a pebble way back in Eden City. She picked the rock up, took a moment to take its measure, and then threw it. The rock hit the hired gun right in the back of the head and he stumbled for a second before he dropped to the ground.

Fang grinned. Damn, if only Lightning had been around to see that. Still, that patrol would be missed eventually, which meant she needed to get a move on. She covered the rest of the street in a hurry, but it looked like they were in luck. The rain was still going hard enough to make it unpleasant to be out and about, so most of the hired guns were indoors, playing cards, or loafing about. The few hired guns that she did run into were pretty easy to deal with, and she was careful to tuck them out of the way before she headed back to Vanille.

"You got things planned out, Vanille?" Fang asked as the red head peeked out from behind the box she was using for cover.

Vanille pursed her lips and then pointed down the trail. "I'm thinking I'll go the same way you did. There are windows on the backs of all those buildings, right?" Fang nodded and Vanille smiled sunnily. "Then I figure I can toss explosives in through the back."

"Sounds good," Fang said. "But we'll have to be quick. I'll run ahead, you run behind me tossing those explosives of yours. Make sure you run fast though, those explosives of yours pack a punch and a half."

Vanille nodded proudly. "They're the best in the whole damn West." She reached into her coat and palmed some explosives. "Let's get a move on."

And then they were running at full pace down the trail. To anyone else, they'd have looked like a pair of fools – and all things considered, maybe that wasn't too far from the truth – but right now they had a pretty good reason to be running. That reason got real obvious too, when Vanille got the first explosive lit and tossed it through the back window of the first building they passed.

There was a gap of a few seconds and then a tremendous roar as the explosive blew the building apart like it was made of newspaper. Rainwater flew every which way as the noise of the blast rippled outward, a single peal of chemical thunder punctuated by a cloud of smoke and fire. Debris and mud rained down on them, and even the river trembled as the part of the riverbank nearest to the explosion began to give way. The other buildings trembled, and then began to shake as the shockwave blew out all the windows, and sent a tremor through the ground.

"What the hell did you put in those?" Fang screamed as she struggled to keep her footing. They were level with the second building now, and as Vanille tossed another explosive through the back window of the building, Fang felt mighty tempted to really put some speed on. Only the fact that Vanille couldn't run as fast as her held her back, but with all the bits of wood raining down on them along with the rain and the occasional burning body, it was getting harder and harder to not just run for all she was worth and damn the consequences.

Vanille laughed like Fang had said the funniest thing in the world. "After our little bit of trouble on the train over here, I thought I might add something a little special, make them a mite stronger." She giggled and waved her hands about. "Seeing as how we're basically outnumbered by more than I can count, I figured it'd be a good idea." She said more, but the words were lost as the explosive she'd tossed only a few moments ago went off with a boom fit to break the sky.

The building must have sturdier wall than the last one, because it was the roof that came off first. It landed almost whole in the river beside them as the walls finally blew outward like sheets of linen caught in the wind. Bodies followed the roof, some of them burned, some of them whole. Most of them crashed into the river, but others landed in the dirt around them. Fang shot any of them that twitched, but mostly, she ran. Behind her, Vanille was like a kid in a candy store, lobbing explosives into every building they passed.

They reached the end of the street and turned around just in time to watch the last building come apart like an overripe tomato. The walls bulged outward along with the roof, before a tide of flame hurled them away, the building reduced to little more than its smouldering foundations. Fang and Vanille had to duck for cover as nails, planks, and what looked to be a couple of half-melted pistols flew through the air toward them. By the time they stepped out, their whole side of the street was in ruins, and Fang could hear the shouts of the wounded and the dying over the rain as the hired guns from the other side of the street poured out of their buildings to see what had happened. A couple of them spotted her and Vanille right away.

"You ready for some shooting?" Fang asked as she drew her pistols.

Vanille put her hands on her hips and looked over the mess she'd made. Not a single building on their side of the street was standing. Hell, there wasn't even a single wall still in place. If ever she'd seen something prettier, she was hard-pressed to remember it. A grin crossed her face and she lifted her shotgun up. "What do you think, Fang?"

X X X

"Honestly, those two are something else," Sazh muttered as he watched the last building on the opposite side of the street explode.

Lightning made a face as a big piece of burning wood fell just a little too close to her for her liking. "You've known them longer than me. Have they always been like this?"

Sazh grinned. "You should have seen what happened the first time Vanille made explosives. The damn thing burned my eyebrows right off. Fang had a right good time at my expense." He glanced at the street where the hired guns had begun to gather. "What do you say? Let's go introduce ourselves."

As they strode out onto the street to get a better line of fire, Sazh thought back over the last few minutes. He'd known from the moment he'd met her that Lightning was dangerous, and he'd heard plenty from the folks he'd talked to who'd gone past Bodhum, but this was the first time he'd really gotten a good look at her in action. It was one thing to shoot a man, quite another to just slip as silent as a shadow through the rain and then get up behind him to break his neck. Sazh might've been quite a bounty hunter once, but he'd never been that good at killing people. No, Lightning was a bit like Fang that way – really, really good at killing people, scary good, and a right natural at it too. At least she was on his side though, because he'd hate to have to go up against someone like her.

They came out into the open and the hired guns kind of stopped and stared for a moment before they all went for their guns. Lightning and Sazh fired first, and then turned to stand back to back as Lightning laid into the hired guns on the left of them and Sazh the hired guns on the right. Standing like that, they had no choice but to trust the other to look out for them, and Sazh felt all the long years of fixing sewing machines and other little knick-knacks slip away. He always liked to say that he'd changed, and he always had a word or two ready for Dajh about what it meant to grow up good and right and decent. But deep down inside, he knew he wasn't the kind of man who could spend his life in a workshop, not really. This, right here, was what defined him, this tangle of bullets and mayhem, this riot of blood and smoke and a thousand different sensations all jammed together and hammering away at him like every battle he'd ever fought rolled into one. This was what he lived for.

He fired both guns together, his attention split perfectly between his two targets as all his years on the road hunting the scum of the earth flooded back. A hired gun popped up from behind a crate and he drilled him easy as could be with a shot right through the head. Another appeared in the door of one of the buildings alongside them and Sazh put a bullet in his heart. It didn't seem to matter where the hired guns were coming from or how many there were. His hands were moving faster than he could think, old instincts awake and ready once again. The world slowed down until he was knocking hired guns off like they were cans on a fence and it was only when his left pistol clicked empty that the world sped up again. He holstered the empty pistol and used the last two rounds from his other pistol to drop a pair of hired guns who'd been about to blindside him. Behind him, he could here Lightning's pistols click empty too, but there were still more hired guns and he had a feeling they weren't in the mood to give him and Lightning a break to reload. It was a good thing then that Sazh hadn't brought just his pistols with him.

Sazh tugged the shotgun off his back and called for Lightning to follow him toward some cover. A clump of hired guns closed in, guns blazing, and he felt the sting of a bullet as it grazed his cheek. Then he brought his own weapon up and fired, and the hired guns reeled back, two of them killed outright, a couple more of them wounded. Taking the chance to get out of there, he and Lightning ran for one of the buildings that was still standing and crashed through the door.

"We need to reload," Sazh muttered as he shot a quick look through the ruined door. More hired guns were headed their way. Lovely.

Lightning followed his gazed and nodded. "Damn straight we –"

Lightning stopped midsentence as a big shadow fell over them. Sazh watched in disbelief as a big hulk of a man grabbed the sheriff by the scruff of her coat and then tossed her across the room. She managed to right herself in midair somehow, but even so, the force of the throw had her skidding into a stack of tables and chairs. She shoved out of the upturned furniture, and shook her head to clear it, but there were hired guns closing in on her. Sazh stepped forward to lend her a hand, but the big man blocked his path.

"You're not going anywhere, old man," the big man growled before he slapped the shotgun out of Sazh's hands. The weapon hit the ground with a clatter and went off, catching a hired gun in the leg. But Sazh had no time to worry about that as the big man came forward, fists already in motion.

Sazh wasn't as fast as he used to be, but the last thing a man like him ever lost was his strength, and although the hired gun was bigger than him, that didn't matter much when Sazh kicked him right between the legs. As the man folded like a paper bag, Sazh couldn't help but wince. Really, strength didn't have much to do with it when it came to kicking people between the legs, but he wasn't about to fight fair, not at a time like this. As the big man clutched at his privates, Sazh kneed him in the face. The big man groaned and stumbled back, but somehow managed to stay conscious, so Sazh did the only thing he could think of and yanked a chair up and smashed it over the hired gun's back. Finally, the big man went down. As a fresh group of hired guns raced in through the door, Sazh scrambled for the big man's gun. Thankfully, it was still loaded, and even though it was a bit shabby, the other hired guns were too close for that too matter. He dropped a couple of hired guns and then flipped a table over for cover. Safe, at least for the time being, he chanced a look back at Lightning.

The sheriff had managed to find her feet again, and as one of the hired guns closed in on her, his gun already up, Lightning darted forward and knocked it out of his hand. Before it could hit the floor, she caught it and as the hired gun gaped, not quite able to believe what had just happened, she levelled the gun with his chest and fired. The other hired guns immediately closed in on her, determined to put their numbers to work, but she was a blur of movement, a flash of pink amidst all the browns and greys. She kicked one man in the face, and then spun as a gunshot ripped through the air where her head had been. In the same movement, she drove her elbow into the gut of a hired gun behind her, and then reached over to toss him into the others. Three hired guns tripped over him and she fired twice in quick succession at the two that managed to keep clear. As the others recovered, she fired until her stolen weapon clicked empty. With a scowl, she tossed the weapon into the face of the nearest hired gun, and then laid into them with her fists and feet. A few of them managed to hit her, one even rocked her head back with a wildly thrown haymaker of a punch, but she refused to falter as she rattled hired gun after hired gun with her blows. However, one of them had managed to sneak up behind her, and as he rushed forward to try and tackle her, Sazh brought his gun up and picked him off. Lightning turned as the hired gun dropped to the floor beside her. Their eyes met and she nodded to him once before gunfire from the hired guns by the door forced her to look for cover.

Seeing that Lightning was tucked away behind some tables and now had a chance to reload, Sazh peeked out over his upturned table. The second he did, a bullet nearly took his head off, and he winced as more gunfire slammed into the table. The table was mighty thick, but each shot made it a little smaller and damn if one of those hired guns didn't have a shotgun. With a growl, he pushed away from the table and dove for the makeshift bar across the room. Along the way, he squeezed a few shots off. One shot caught a hired gun in the throat, another went wide, and the last one hit a hired gun in the shoulder and spun him round to tumble out the door. He reached the bar and scrambled over it. His back gave a groan as he tumbled willy-nilly onto the ground. Really, he was getting too old for this kind of thing. Several gunshots from the back of the room followed by a pair of anguished cries told him that Lightning had started shooting again, which meant he really should take the chance to reload too.

A few seconds later, he was ready, and as he popped back out from behind the counter, one of the hired guns took a flying leap at him. He shot the man in midair and the hired gun crashed through the wall behind him in a shower of timber. Looking through the hole in the wall, Sazh suddenly found himself face to face with another group of hired guns. Aw, damn.

He leapt back over the bar as the hired guns by the door riddled the floor and bar around him with bullets. Swearing up a storm – and glad that Lahna wasn't around to hear him do it – he scrambled to find some cover. More bullets headed his way, this time from the hired guns who'd just come in through the hole in the wall, but Lightning was up on her feet with eyes colder than the winter chill. She dropped two hired guns by the bar, and the others reeled back. Then she turned her attention to the hired guns by the door and it wasn't long before a few more of them were dead too. Glad to have the pressure off him for a bit, Sazh added his own gunfire to the mix and it wasn't long before the rest of the hired guns were either dead or running for it.

"You okay?" Sazh asked as the two of them watched the last of the hired guns turn tail and run. Lightning's coat was ripped in several places and her lip was cut and swollen. She had to be bruised all over from the earlier scuffle too, but she lifted her chin and her eyes just blazed defiance.

"I could ask you the same," Lightning said.

Sazh chuckled. "I guess so." He tilted his head toward the door. "Looks like there's still a lot of them out there."

Lightning nodded and the two of them took the chance to reload before they ran back out onto the street. Not too surprisingly, Fang and Vanille were already there, the red head sizing up the best place to throw her next explosive as Fang covered her, the black haired woman a blur of motion as she picked off hired gun after hired gun. Around them, the ruins of the buildings continued to smoulder despite the rain.

X X X

Fang smiled when she saw Lightning and Sazh come out of one of building nearby. She'd heard a lot of shooting and cussing coming inside and while she was mighty confident they'd come out on top, she couldn't help but worry just a tad. The fact that she and Vanille really could use a hand too didn't hurt either. They might've blown one entire side of the street down to kindling, but that didn't seem to make a lick of difference as hired guns came from what felt like every direction. Right now, she and Vanille were using an overturned wagon for cover as the red head continued to use what explosives she had left to put her own personal spin on the scenery.

"Nice of you to join us, sheriff," Fang drawled as bullets clipped the side of the wagon just over her head. She waited for a slight lull in the firing and then leaned over to fire back. Her shot caught a hired gun up on the roof the building in front of them, and he gave a drawn out scream before he toppled to the ground. "Care to give us a hand?"

Lightning ducked down into place beside Fang before the hired guns could shoot her head off. "That was quite a show you two put on." She gave Vanille a sort of wondering look. "Just how many explosives did you bring, Vanille?"

Vanille shrugged and then winced as the wagon shuddered under another round of gunfire. "I don't know, as many as I could carry, really." She frowned and opened her coat. "I've only got two left though, so I should probably hang on to those until we really need them."

Fang chuckled. "Only two left? Hell, that's two more than most people carry into a fight." She peered over the wagon again and then made a face. "I think we've got some real trouble headed our way."

"What do you mean?" Sazh asked. A bullet knocked his hat clean off his head and he had to fumble for it in the mud. When he put it back on there was a nice hole in the middle of it. He sighed. Sometimes he wished he could be a little shorter. Even ducking, it was hard for him to keep completely out of harm's way, whereas Vanille looked nice and comfortable up against the wagon.

"Tell you what," Fang said. "Pick up that plank of wood next to you and hold it up."

Sazh reached over for the plank of wood and held it up over the edge of the wagon. "What now?"

Bang.

The plank of wood practically exploded and Sazh dropped it in a hurry. "What the heck was that?"

Fang stuck her head out for a moment and then quickly ducked down again. A loud bang ripped through the air before a bullet kicked up a spray of mud. "See that building at the end of the street? Well, they've got hired guns with rifles up there, good ones too, and their aim isn't half bad." Her lips pulled back into a snarl. "I'm guessing they're going to try and keep us pinned down here while the others circle round and get behind us." Right on cue, there was some yelling and the sound of a whole lot of boots tromping through the mud and rain to flank them. "We need to get rid of those hired guns up there with rifles."

Lightning pursed her lips and then nodded as she pulled her rifle off her back. "I can do that, but I'll need a distraction." She looked at Vanille.

Vanille pouted and flicked some rain at Lightning. "Hey! Why does it have to be me?"

Fang grinned. "You have to admit, you do kind of draw attention to yourself."

"I do not," Vanille huffed. "Well, not that much."

Sazh patted Vanille on the shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll do it." He winced and stretched his legs. "Lahna would be all kinds of angry if I let you get hit, Vanille." He shot a glare at Fang and Vanille. "But damn it, you two better cover me. If I end up dead, I swear I'll come back and haunt you till the day you die."

Fang laughed. "Don't worry, old man, you've plenty of days ahead of you yet." She looked at Lightning. "You about ready?"

Lightning gave her rifle one last quick look and then nodded. "Whenever you're ready, Sazh." Her brows furrowed. "Make sure you don't run in a straight line, okay? Run in a zigzag, that'll make it harder for them to get you."

Sazh chuckled nervously. "Don't worry, I know that." He took a deep breath. "I just hope you don't miss, Lightning."

With a mad cry, Sazh pushed out from behind the wagon and charged up the street, zigzagging wildly. The instant he was out of cover, a hail of bullets went his way and Fang felt her heart skip a beat as the closest thing she'd ever had to a father ducked and dove through a storm of metal. For a second, he stumbled as his feet slipped in the mud, but he got his balance back and poured on every bit of speed he had, screaming at the top of his lungs to draw as much attention as he could. Once the hired guns took their eyes off the wagon, Fang and Vanille moved out from behind it too. They opened fire and it wasn't long before they began to make a pretty decent dent in the number of hired guns at ground level. But there were a lot of them, and Fang cursed as a bullet sliced through her coat at the hip. It wasn't much more than a scratch, but she knew for a fact she'd just gotten really lucky. A couple more inches to the left and she'd be missing a leg.

"Come on, Lightning!" Fang growled as she and Vanille blazed away. "What are you waiting for?"

But Lightning didn't say a word. Instead, she watched, calm and cool and ready as she eyed off the positions of the hired guns on the roof and counted their shots. One of them stopped to reload and then another. Now, now was her chance. Lips drawn into a thin line, she brought her rifle up to her shoulder and began to fire.

Bang.

Bang.

Bang.

Bang.

Lightning fired four times, each shot as loud as thunder as the wind tossed her hat aside and the rain swept down her cheeks. With each shot, a hired gun went down on the roof of the building at the end of the street. Every single one of them had a hole blown clean through the middle of their forehead. Water dripped into her eyes, but rather than reach up to wipe it away, she simply flung her head back to jolt it clear and then took aim again.

Bang.

Bang.

Bang.

Bang.

The hired guns had cottoned on to Lightning as the shooter now and bullets went her way but she paid them no mind. She trusted Fang and the others to take care of the hired guns at ground level while she picked off the ones on the roof. A bullet shot past her, so close that she could feel the wind of it brush against her ear, but she had eyes only for the hired guns on the roof. She could see them clear as day, and as she stared down the barrel of her rifle at them nothing else mattered, not the rain, or the wind, or the mud, or even the taste of blood in her mouth. Instead, she let her whole world shrink down to each shot as she picked them off one after the other, easy as could be.

"Damn that woman can shoot!" Fang cried with wild, ringing laughter as she and Vanille headed down the street after Sazh. With the hired guns up on the roof gone, things were a fair bit easier and the hired guns at ground level had begun to fall back.

Behind them, Lightning dropped the last of the hired guns on the roof and then turned her attention to those at ground level. As Fang, Vanille, and Sazh surged forward, she added her own fire to the mix, the rapid staccato of their pistols punctuated by the boom of her rifle.

Up near the end of the street, Fang fired until her pistols came up empty. Then, since the next bunch of hired guns were close enough, she switched to fisticuffs. She slugged the hired gun closest to her with a savage hook across the jaw that sent him sprawling back into the mud. Another leapt at her from the side, but she caught him in midair and twisted to throw him over her shoulder. A third lunged at her with a knife, and she twisted away. As he came back around for another slash at her chest, she eased back and then kicked him in the chest. He flew back and skidded through the mud, and as he tried to find his footing, her boot caught him flush across the face.

More hired guns came running from the side and she grabbed the shotgun she'd brought with her and put it work. Shotguns really were more Vanille's thing, but up close and personal like this, a shotgun was just what she needed. She fired right into the middle of the group of hired guns and two of them went flying. A third and fourth followed a second later as she fired again before she ducked behind a barrel to reload.

Suddenly though, something smashed into her from the side and she found herself rolling over and over through the mud. She looked up just in time to dodge a knife aimed at her throat. Even so, the knife scored a cut across her arm. The hired gun on top of her gave a roar of fury and stabbed at her with his other knife, but she managed to bring her shotgun up in time to block the attack. The knife lodged in the stock of the shotgun, and she smacked him across the face with the weapon. He grunted with pain but managed to keep on top of her, and she cursed as he struck out at her again and again. Somehow, through the blur of cutting steel, she managed to get a hold of his coat and she growled as she kicked him up over her head.

As Fang scrambled to her feet, she caught sight of Sazh and Vanilel not too far off, the two of them were fighting hand-to-hand now that the hired guns were too close to let them reload. It was hard, ugly fighting, but she knew Vanille and Sazh were up to it. Further back, Lightning was still firing, her rifle spitting death as she took down any hired guns that looked like they were about to get a shot off on Vanille or Sazh.

Then she had no more time to think as the knife wielding hired gun closed in on her again. He was damn fast, Fang thought, and skilled too. As he came forward, she pried out the knife still stuck in her shotgun and used it to parry his first set of strikes. But having to hold the shotgun in her other hand was slowing her down plenty, and he cut her twice, just shallow cuts both times, but stinging all the same. Through the rain, she heard boots behind her and as she turned, strong arms grabbed hold of her. With a growl, she jerked her head back, and she heard the hired gun behind her swear as she broke his nose. He let go of her and clutched at his face, and she swung her shotgun up to clip him on the temple. He went down and she turned back just in time to block another attack from the hired gun with a knife. Their knives locked and she twisted just enough to let him skid past her. As he struggled to get his footing back, she scored a cut of her own along his side and moved in to finish things, but another hired gun tackled her from the side. They crashed through the wooden wall of a building, her shotgun and knife jolting out of her grasp in the tumble, and she backpedalled quickly as he made a grab for her ankles. 

He missed and she caught him with a good kick right on the chin. However, as she went to get her shotgun and knife back, the knife-wielding hired gun bounded in through the hole in the wall. He pushed her back with a string of fast, flowing attacks until she bumped into a table. On reflex, she reached back to steady herself, and her hands closed around a thick coat. She grinned and as the hired gun lunged in again, she swept the coat up and wrapped it around his knife and the hand that held it. Grin turning nasty, she jerked the coat – and his arm – up to one side and slammed her knee into his gut. He doubled over and she tightened the coat around his arm, and heaved him into the opposite wall. He smashed right through it and tried to rise, only to fall flat on his face in the mud. Still grinning slightly, she picked her shotgun up and headed back outside, reloading as she went.

Out on the street, things had begun to quieten down a little. Fang picked off three more hired guns and then rejoined the others as they made their way closer to the dam and the scaffolding that led up to the top of it. Her eyes narrowed. One way or another, she'd be settling things today that had weighed on her for a long, long time

"Everybody okay?" Fang asked

Vanille grinned and spat some blood onto the ground. Fang was happy to see though, that the red head didn't seem to be missing any teeth, although there was a mighty nasty bruise on one cheek. "I've been better," she said. "But you should see the other guy." She waved her hand at a nearby crater. "He used to be over there but…"

Lightning gave Vanille a mildly worried look and then glanced back at Fang. "I'm fine." Out of all of them she probably did look the best, because other than a few little cuts and scrapes and a split lip, most of the damage seemed to be to her coat.

"Ask me tomorrow morning," Sazh muttered. He wasn't doing too poorly, but his coat was hanging in tatters and that, more than even the slight limp he was carrying, seemed to bother him. Fang could understand why though. Lahna had gotten him that coat and if he came back without it, he'd never hear the end of it.

"Well, hope you're ready for more then." Fang looked up at the scaffolding ahead and felt a savage grin cross her face. There were more hired guns up there, lots more, and the longer they waited, the worst it would be. "All right, let's finish this."

X X X

Lightning eyed the scaffolding keenly as they moved in. The whole time, they had to duck and dodge and weave as the hired guns up there made their presence known with gunfire. The scaffolding had five levels, with the highest level flush with the top of the dam. Still, even if they managed to get to the scaffolding, things wouldn't be easy. The scaffolding was narrow, only a few yards wide, actually, with each level connected to the next by a wooden ramp. Her lip curled in distaste. The whole thing was one big bucket of bolts, strong enough to get the explosives set up, but weak enough that it'd come apart nice and easy when the dam went down.

They managed to get to the foot of the scaffolding and waiting for them there were the first group of hired guns. If Cocoon thought that half a dozen men would be enough to stop them, then clearly, they hadn't been paying too much attention, because they'd just taken a whole damn street out a few minutes ago. The four of them barrelled right into the hired guns like they were hardly even there. Guns blazing, they dropped four of them in a flash, and as the last two gaped in fear and wonder, they fired again and took them down too. Nearly sprinting now, they charged up the first ramp that took them from the riverbank and onto the first level of the scaffolding.

As they stepped onto the scaffolding, Lightning hesitated for just a moment. The scaffolding was anchored to the concrete wall of the dam and that meant that every vibration, every shudder, and every groan that rippled through the dam as the water behind it raged and roared also rocked the scaffolding. It was a scary thought, all that water below and behind them with the only thing they had to rely on a big pile of rain-slicked wood and rusty metal. Sazh must have been thinking the same thing too, because he gave them all a queasy sort of smile and then kept going.

At the top of the ramp were more hired guns. With no room to really dodge or manoeuvre, it was a simple question of who could fire first and Lightning had no intention of coming in second. She was the first to fire and the others weren't far behind her. The two groups couldn't have been more than ten yards apart, and Lightning winced as one bullet nicked her side. The sting of it made her growl, and she peeled off two quick shots, killing one hired gun outright, and hitting another in the shoulder so that he spun in a slow circle and then toppled off the scaffolding into the river below.

"There's the ramp," Lightning said as she and the others forced the hired guns back. Her pistols finally came up empty, so she switched to her rifle. The big weapon jerked against her shoulder and the bullet tore through one hired gun and into the man behind him too. "Well, what are you waiting for, Fang, Vanille? Go!"

Fang looked over at her for a moment and Lightning could see the hesitation written there. If Fang and Vanille headed up, then she and Sazh would be boxed in on the bottom level with hardly any cover and not much room to move.

"You've waited just about your whole damn life for this," Lightning growled as she grabbed Fang and shoved her toward the ramp. "Now, go up and do what you need to do."

Fang laughed a little wildly and held Lightning's gaze with her own. "Don't you dare die on me, Lightning."

Lightning looked away just long enough to drill a shot right through the heart of another hired gun before she looked back at Fang. "Do you really think I'd let scum like these hired guns put me down? Not a chance, Fang, not a chance in the world."

"Then I'll see you later, Lightning," Fang said. "Look after Sazh for me, will you?"

And then Fang and Vanille were heading up the ramp, shooting as they ran headlong into the hired guns set up there to stop them. Smiling once at the pair, Lightning turned her attention back to the hired guns in front of her. Behind her, a few yards back was Sazh, and he'd managed to kick a few boxes over to make some cover for himself. She had to watch his back and trust him to do the same. At least the narrowness of the scaffolding made it hard for the hired guns up the back to shoot without hitting the ones up the front. Of course, she didn't have that problem.

As the hired guns ran toward her they had to try pretty hard to keep from bunching up or getting in each other's way. She brought her rifle around and lined up her first shot. She took out two of them with that shot, the hired gun at the front and the man just behind him. Her second shot dropped another hired gun as the others spread out as best they could on the narrow scaffolding and fired back. Bullets ripped past her as she ghosted from side to side, firing until her rifle came up empty. Her eyes narrowed. There was no time now for her to get behind cover, no time, really to do anything, but draw her survival knife and hope that she'd be up to the task at hand.

With a low growl, she flung herself at hired guns. A gunshot grazed her thigh, another her shoulder, and then she was spinning, stumbling drunkenly about as pain ripped through her chest. Was she hit? Had they shot her? No, she realised, as she felt down her chest for blood, they hadn't. Instead, her hand came up against her sheriff's star, which was still tucked away in her front pocket. There was a hole in her shirt over it, and she jerked her hand away as her fingers touched the still smoking bullet lodged in the metal star. Her sheriff's star had taken the bullet for her and even though her chest was going to be one big bruise, she could hardly bring herself to care. She was alive, and she had no intention of letting the hired guns change that.

Righting herself, she closed the gap between her and the hired guns. There was panic in their eyes as she drove her knife hilt deep into the gut of the first man and then tossed him into the river. The hired gun behind him took a leap at her, and she ducked to let him pass overhead. As he scrambled to get to his feet again, she swept one foot up and back and kicked him into the river too. He gave a short, frightened scream before the river took him, the churning waters dragging him under as easy as could be. In front of her, another hired gun brought his gun up and fired. She ducked just in time, and as he gaped and tried to get his second shot lined up, she leapt forward and struck twice, once in the chest and again in the throat.

And then she had to give ground as one of the hired guns pulled a sabre and lunged right at her. The first blow sailed just wide, and she ducked as the second swing ripped right through one of the wooden posts holding up the scaffolding. The wood above them gave a low groan and the hired gun pressed his attack, driving her back with a blindingly fast series of cuts and thrusts. She blocked as best she could, her knife not exactly well suited to the task, but finally she got what she wanted as she diverted the sabre up and into one of the metal posts driven into the wall of the dam. There was a loud clan, and the hired gun cursed as the shock of the impact shuddered up his arm. In the split-second that his grip was a tad loose, she struck. She drove her knife into his sword arm and as the sabre clattered out of his hands, she dove forward to catch it.

When she got to her feet, the sabre was in her hand, and for just a second she let herself savour the feel of it. It wasn't like the one that she'd trained with back in Bodhum. That had belonged to Amodar and was more for show than anything else – marshals never really wore their sabres except for during ceremonies. Still the sabre she was holding now was plenty sharp, and up close in a cramped place like this, it was probably better than a gun.

With a flick of her wrist, she gutted the hired gun she'd taken the sabre from and then turned to the others. The panic in their eyes had started to crystallise into cold terror, and she darted forward to finish things before they could get their wits back. They fired wildly as she closed in, but fear made their aim unsteady, and all she needed to do was get close. She did.

A gun came up to point at her head and she brought the sabre up and forward in a gleaming silver arc. The gun – and the hand holding it – clattered to the ground and she grabbed the screaming hired gun by his shirt and tossed him into the river. The others closed in, mad with the kind of courage that only real fear could bring, punching, kicking and shooting. But she felt as light as a feather, all the tiredness dripping off her as she let the sweet steel in her right hand sing just for her. A bullet skimmed her side, but she barely felt it as she cut one man down and then another, the sabre a constant blur of motion as she cut through cloth, and flesh, and bone. Blood splattered the scaffolding around her, spreading as the rain dripped down, and suddenly the hired guns weren't moving forward anymore, they were moving back, not a one of them wanting to face her anymore.

One of them found the courage to turn and fight. He screamed something at her, eyes wide with fear and impotent anger, and she let the sabre reply for her. She split him from hip to shoulder and then twisted to cut another hired gun out of the air as he leapt at her. A third fired his gun, but she was already in motion, crouching low to let the bullet pass overhead as she stabbed up into the man's gut.

More hired guns came forward, pushing past the others, as they drew their sabres and stared her down. But to her they seemed as slow as molasses as they tried to box her in, her one blade seemingly fast enough to keep up with all of theirs. There was no need for her to hold back here, no need to worry about hurting anyone she cared about. All she needed to do was to take them down, and she did, her blade wreathed in dark, vivid red, as she replied to each attack with a sharp riposte.

Finally, the hired guns seemed to run out of steam as their numbers began to dwindle and those not already hurt or dead began to drift away. But before Lightning could let herself relax to much another hired gun stepped forward, and she could tell, right from the start, that he was different from all the others. He was a tall man with long, spiky silver hair, and built real solid. His eyes were a bright blue tinged with yellow around the pupils, and though his face seemed calm enough, there was madness in his gaze. He moved with the easy grace of a man long used to fighting, and as he stopped just outside the range of her sabre, he drew a pistol and then a sabre of his own. Eyes narrowed, Lightning skipped back a step and plucked a pistol from one of the hired guns she'd just killed. The weapon was still fully loaded – the hired gun hadn't even gotten a shot off before she'd cut him down.

"You're pretty good to handle so many hired guns." The silver haired man's lips curled into the faintest of smiles. "It's no wonder Rosso couldn't take you out." He tilted his head to one side. "The name's Weiss, and you're not going anywhere until I'm done with you."

And that was all the warning Lightning had before he brought his gun up and fired. Damn, she thought, he was fast. She had just enough time to jerk her body out of the way before he darted forward and lashed out with his sabre. The sheer force of the blow knocked her back through a wooden post, and she had to scramble to get her balance back before she toppled into the river. But, he was on her in a flash, his sabre striking out again and again, never giving her a moment to counterattack or get her breath back. He was strong too, real strong, and each time their blades met, she felt the shock of the impact coil up her arm and quiver through her body. She was starting to tire, as well, the countless little injuries she'd taken starting to take their toll as she finally faced someone who could fight her on even footing. A slash nearly took her head off, and as she backed away, she had to blink blood out of her eye from the thin cut on her brow.

"You managed to keep your head on," Weiss murmured. "You really are pretty fast." He shrugged, not even breathing hard. "But you've been fighting a while now, and it won't be long before you slow down enough for me to take you out."

Lightning said nothing, choosing instead to drag in a few precious breaths. Seeing her panting, Weiss closed in again, his sabre whipping up to force Lightning's blade up and out of the way as he brought his gun up and levelled it with her chest. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she only just managed to bring her own gun up in time to try and fire first. They fired almost together, both of them twisting away so that the shots went wide, before their sabres met again and then again in a shower of sparks.

They fought back and forth across the scaffolding, and Lightning had to keep an eye out on the bodies of the downed hired guns in case she tripped on them. Their sabres tangled again, and she snaked her gun up and under his blade to try and shoot him in the chest. He jerked away at the last moment, and then she had to dodge as he fired back, his own shot nearly catching her in the shoulder. As they broke apart, his blade streaked out, too fast for her to catch with her own, and she felt a stab of pain as his sabre's edge scored a cut along her thigh. A second later, he got her again, opening up a thin cut along her stomach. She winced and faltered for a moment, and his gun whipped up to aim at her head. She dove for the floor as the shot went high, and swept his legs out from under him. He went down, and she tried to stab him before he could rise, but he rolled, and her sabre jammed into the scaffolding. A grin crossed his face as he drew one foot back to kick her sabre out of her hands, but it fell off his face as she levelled her gun at his chest and fired. He tried to get clear, but the bullet caught him in the side and staggered him just long enough for her to get her sabre free. But he was mad down to his boots now and he caught her with a kick right on the point of the chin.

She crashed back, seeing stars, but somehow able to keep a hold on her sabre. He bounded forward, wound forgotten, and she could barely keep up, as his sabre seemed to come at her from a hundred different directions. He fired his gun again, but she managed to keep clear, and as he lunged forward with another attack, she managed to trip him up again. He hit the scaffolding with a grunt, and as he looked to find his feet, she darted forward to finish it. However, he was ready for her, and at the last moment, she had to jerk away as he raised his pistol and fired. The bullet grazed her cheek, and she let loose a curse, tripping over a downed hired gun. A second later, she found herself staring down the barrel of his gun. He pulled the trigger.

Click.

She smirked. He hadn't counted his shots, and now he was empty, but her pistol wasn't, not yet. It was just a matter of choosing the right time to take her shots. She got to her feet at the same time as him and the two of them struck out at each other again. She was built for speed, but tired as she was, and in the relatively narrow space of the scaffolding, she was hard pressed to take advantage. After a blindingly fast series of blows, she finally slowed down enough for him to drive her to her knees with a powerful overhead chop. It took everything she had to hold his sabre off with just one hand, but she needed her other hand free to use her pistol.

"I think this is where we say goodbye, sheriff," Weiss drawled. "I hope you don't mind me throwing you into the river once we're done."

She grunted with effort as he bore down on her with all of his weight. His sabre dug into her shoulder and she felt a scream tug at her lips, but she refused to give him that much. If only she could find the strength to get her gun up and shoot him, but her left arm was hurting something awful now and it refused to cooperate. But maybe she didn't need to get her gun up. Hissing in pain, she angled her gun around just far enough to shoot him in the leg. He gave a roar of outrage, and she rolled free. His sabre smashed into the scaffolding beneath them, and the wood gave an ominous creak. With a growl, she brought her sabre down on him with all the strength she could muster. Somehow, even with his wounded leg, he managed to block the attack, but the force of it was too much for the scaffolding beneath him and the wood cracked and then gave way. He screamed as he tumbled down into the river and for several seconds he fought wildly against the current, before the river closed over him and bundled him downstream.

However, Lightning's relief was pretty short-lived. No sooner had Weiss vanished from sight than the rest of the scaffolding around her began to shake.

"Sazh!" she screamed. "We need to get going, this place won't hold up much longer."

Hoping he would follow, she sprinted for the ramp up to the second level, bullets whistling past her as the first level of the scaffolding began to collapse. He beat her to the ramp and half-carried, half-dragged her up it as the entire first level of the scaffolding gave way and collapsed into the river. Lying on her back next to a dead hired gun, Lightning could only thank her lucky stars that Fang and Vanille had already been this way. Still, from the sound of things, they hadn't gotten all of the hired guns on their way through. She pushed herself back to her feet and looked across to where a couple of hired guns were.

Sazh followed her gaze and winced. "Looks like we'll be busy all day, sheriff." He looked every bit as beat up as her.

"Figures," Lightning said as she hurried to reload her weapons. "Let's hope Fang and Vanille don't take too much longer to sort things out."

X X X

Vanille rubbed her leg and hobbled as quickly as she could after Fang. She was all for hitting people with planks of wood, but it wasn't so great when she was the one getting hit. In front of her, Fang paused, one foot on the ramp to the fourth level of the scaffolding.

"Vanille, you okay?" Fang asked.

Vanille nodded quickly. "I'm fine, just a little sore. We need to keep going." Besides, it wasn't like Fang was doing much better either. Just getting this far had been one heck of a fight, with bullets and knives, and all sorts of unpleasant things. It made her kind of wish that she could just lob an explosive and blow the whole thing to bits, but that could just as easily bring down the dam too. "Come on, let's go."

They got up the ramp, and then stopped and stared. Hojo was right there. He looked just like Vanille remembered, with his left ear missing and one arm in a sling. He glared at them for a moment with his beady eyes and then turned tail and run, a couple of hired guns moving in to cover him.

"Where's he going?" Fang growled. Hojo wasn't running toward the fifth level of the scaffolding. "There has to be some other way out."

"You're right." Vanille jerked her head toward the ramp up to the fifth level of the scaffolding, which would take them up to the top of the dam where Barthandelus was sure to be waiting. "You go up and settle things with Barthandelus, Fang, I'll settle up with Hojo."

"Vanille…" Fang said.

"Go," Vanille replied, more serious than Fang had ever seen her. "Go and settle with Barthandelus, I can deal with Hojo."

Fang bit her lip and then nodded. "All right then, but take care, Vanille." And then she was gone, running the opposite way to Hojo as she darted up the ramp to the fifth level of the scaffolding.

Shaking her head slowly to clear it, Vanille turned her eyes back to the hired guns standing between her and Hojo. Suddenly, her leg didn't seem to hurt anymore, and instead of pain, all she could feel was ice-cold fury. Hojo was the one who'd come up with the plan to burn Oerba, and if she let him get away she'd never forgive herself. No matter what it took, she'd get him, and anyone who got between her and him was just a dead man walking.

Staggering forward, she blazed away with her shotgun at one of the hired guns. He flew backward, crashing through a couple of posts as the second hired gun fired at her and then closed in with a wild haymaker of a punch. She eased away from the punch, and stuck her foot out as he skidded past. He tripped and went over the side of the scaffolding into the river. More hired guns came running, but there was murder on her mind now and her shotgun was up and ready to greet them. As they fell back, riddled with metal, she cracked her shotgun open, reloaded, and then fired twice more to clear the rest away.

Stepping over the bodies, she saw Hojo heading toward a ramp leading down onto the other side of the river. A stray shot must have hit him somehow, because he was hobbling pretty slowly, one leg of his pants stained with blood. Yet just as she stepped forward, shotgun raised and ready to finish him, the scaffolding beneath her rumbled and then came apart as a massive hand grabbed her by the ankle and yanked her down onto the level below.

She hit the scaffolding below so hard that her shotgun slipped from her grasp and slid away. Rain splashed down onto her face as she looked up and caught sight of the biggest man she'd ever seen. He had silver hair and yellow eyes, and he was so tall that it was no wonder at all that he'd been able to just reach up and smash through the scaffolding to pull her down. And he wasn't just tall either. He was one big mountain of angry muscle, and in one hand he held a rifle so big that Vanille wasn't sure if two of her could have lifted it. If it wasn't for the fact that it was pointed right at her, she'd have been right interested in just how it worked and what it shot. Right now though, she was more worried about getting out of the way.

He fired.

She shoved herself out of the way just in time. The scaffolding where she'd been only a moment ago exploded in a shower of splinters as the rifle slug – far bigger than any normal bullet – ripped right through it and then continued on through the floors below. This had to be Azul, she realised as he brought the gun around again, the giant of a man that Zack had told them about. He fired again, a real slimy sort of smile on his face, and the posts behind her vanished in a hail of mangled timber and metal.

"You're pretty quick on your feet for being on one leg," Azul said. "But that's what makes this whole thing so fun." He chuckled. "I don't like Hojo much, but he pays well and I always run into the most interesting people."

"That so?" Vanille staggered to her feet and lifted her fists up into a fighting position.

Azul threw his head back and laughed. "You're going to fight me with your bare hands, girl? You really are crazy."

Vanille giggled. "Of course, I'm not going to fight you with my bare hands, that'd just be stupid. You're huge." And quick as a flash, she had her pistol drawn. He reacted surprisingly fast for a man as big as he was, but even though he managed to dodge her first shot, he had no choice but to block the next few shots with his rifle. By the time her pistol clicked empty, he was still standing, but at least his rifle wasn't in any condition to fire. He looked down at the ruined weapon in disgust and then threw it at her. She was forced to duck, and that was all it took for him to close the gap between them.

One big fist caught her on the chin and Vanille was sure her jaw was broken. Apparently, it wasn't though, because in the next second, he'd grabbed her and thrown her up into the scaffolding above them and then down onto the ground. Blood filled her mouth and despite the pain in her jaw, it was still working well enough to let her spit some of the blood out so that she could breathe. Her front and back were one big mass of pain as he yanked her up, and slapped her pistol out of her hand with an easy flick of his wrist.

"I don't know how someone like you managed to get this far," Azul taunted as Vanille swam in and out of consciousness. He slapped her across the face. "Now, don't you go blacking out, we're not done yet."

Slowly, and smiling the whole time, he began to choke the life out of her. She kicked wildly, but he was too tall and strong, and his face was too far away for her to reach, so she couldn't poke at his eyes or his throat. Her vision began to swim and she felt her arms go slack. Seeing her go a little limp, he loosened his hold on her throat a fraction.

"No," he said. "You don't get to die that easy."

Vanille tried to force some air into her lungs, but it was no good. The strength was almost gone from her now, and it took everything she had to glare at him as he choked the life out of her. Then her hands brushed up against something in her coat, something she'd completely forgotten about – a vial of acid, the same kind she used to melt locks and the like.

"What's that you got there?" Azul asked mockingly as Vanille struggled to get the vial up.

Vanille forced the words past all the blood in her mouth as he loosened his hold just enough to let her speak. He really was an arrogant fellow, wasn't he? "You should have killed me while you had the chance." And with that she tossed the vial into his open mouth, and then jerked her whole body up so that she could kick him in the chin.

He let loose a hideous screech and dropped her to the ground as the vial broke, and acid spilled into his mouth. But somehow, he was still alive. Even with his lower jaw melting off and his face and throat a patchwork horror, he found the strength to stumble toward her. Still trying to get some air back into her lungs, and aching all over from the beating she'd taken, she wasn't able to do a thing as he picked her up and slammed her into the dam wall beside them. Pain flared in her side and she felt at least a couple of her ribs break. Blindly, she fumbled for her pistol, only to remember that he'd knocked it away from her earlier.

An incoherent cry of rage bubbled up from Azul's ruined throat and Vanille cried out as he slammed her against the dam again and again. Just when it seemed like, she was done for, his hold slackened and he fell away. A moment later, Vanille found herself being hauled up into a sitting position, and she lashed out, thinking it was Azul trying to finish her off. It was only when Sazh spoke that she realised what had happened.

"Easy there Vanille, it's me," Sazh said.

Vanille brought her hands up to her battered throat and then threw herself at Sazh. "Sazh!"

Sazh looked down at her and felt a bitter surge of hatred filled him. He shouldn't have just shot Azul in the head. That monster deserved something much worse than that, but when he'd seen Vanille being slammed into the dam like that, he hadn't been able to stop himself. No one hurt Vanille like that and walked away in one piece, no one. "It's all right," he said. "I've got you."

Vanille pulled back and scrubbed at her eyes. "Sazh…" she croaked. "You need to help me… Hojo's going to get away."

Sazh looked like he might argue – she really was in no condition to be going anywhere – but he could tell from the gleam in her eyes that she wouldn't take no for an answer. "Fine, let's go get him then."

As he helped her back up to her feet, she frowned. "Not that I'm ungrateful or anything, but weren't you supposed to stay down on the lower level?" Her eyes widened. "Wait… is… is Lightning…" She trailed off, not wanting to say out loud what she feared.

Sazh chuckled. "Don't you worry, Lightning's just fine. She's gone up ahead to look for Fang. As for the lower level…" Sazh grinned. "It sort of fell into the river."

Vanille grinned shakily. "And they say I'm the trouble maker."

They went back up to the fourth level of the scaffolding and then picked their way past the hole that Azul had made. As they got to the ramp down onto the other side of the river, they saw that Hojo was still there trying to get a carriage ready. Most of the hired guns must have either died or fled, because he was doing it on his own, and the chocobos were putting up a huge fuss as he panicked and tried to bully them into getting ready faster than they wanted to. Finally, one of the big birds gave an angry squawk and kicked Hojo in the chest. The madman gave a cry and then toppled into the mud.

Vanille took one good, long moment to savour the sight of Hojo crawling and flopping around in the mud before she reached over to borrow Sazh's pistol. There was a bang and then Hojo let out another scream, one of his knees shot out from under him. He rolled over to see them coming down the ramp and screamed again, the cry turning harsh and guttural as she shot out his other knee.

"You!" Hojo wailed as he tried to crawl away from them, his coat dragging in the mud, the cold and rain and fear turning his face a deathly white.

Vanille just smiled. "Yes, me."

Hojo snarled and tried to draw his own pistol only for Vanille to shoot it out of his hand. "I should have done a better job in Oerba," he growled as she stood over him, gun levelled with his head. "What are you waiting for?"

Vanille tilted her head to one side. "If I could, I'd do you slow, really make you suffer, but I don't think I've got time for that." Her lips curled. "But shooting you would be much too kind. No, I've got a better idea." She glanced sideways at Sazh. "Truss him up."

Sazh almost opened his mouth to argue, but there was a look in Vanille's eyes that he'd never seen before, a look he never wanted to see again. Slowly, he nodded, and a few moments later, he'd taken some rope from the carriage and gotten Hojo tied up good and proper.

"Thank you, Sazh," Vanille said as she pulled an explosive from her coat and bent down to wave it in Hojo's face. "You know what this is, right?"

Hojo nodded, eyes wide with fear and pain. "Yes."

"Good," Vanille said. "It'd be no fun at all if you didn't." Then, right in front of Hojo's face, she lit the explosive and tucked it into his front shirt pocket. "Enjoy the trip to the other side, Hojo, and save a spot for Barthandelus too. I've got a feeling he'll be joining you pretty soon."

As she and Sazh walked away, she heard Hojo scream incoherently as he thrashed and flailed in a vain attempt to get free. But Sazh had done a right good job tying Hojo up and all he could do was writhe in the mud in futile, impotent agony, until the explosive went off. The resulting boom that finally put an end to Hojo's screaming was just about the sweetest thing that Vanille had ever heard.

X X X

Fang stepped out onto the top of the dam as the wind kicked up and drove the rain into her face. After all this time, she was finally face to face with the man who'd started this whole damn mess. Barthandelus didn't look like much. No, he just looked like an old man with wrinkled features and a bit of white hair peeking out from under the hat he wore. His eyes though were keen, sharp and hard as diamonds, and despite the fact that she was standing there not five feet away, there wasn't a trace of fear on his face.

"When I was little," Fang said, speaking loudly so that he could her over the rain and the water surging up against the dam. "I used to dream that you were some kind of monster." She chuckled softly. "You know, the kind people tell stories about to frighten little children. But looking at you now, you're not a monster." Her eyes narrowed. "You're just a man, and not much of one at that." She smiled. "And soon, you'll be a dead man."

Barthandelus shook his head and smiled at her – no, she realised, not at her, but at someone behind her. "I don't think so."

She ducked at the last moment and a bullet streaked over her head. An instant later, a knee crashed into her jaw, and she staggered back, only for her attacker to grab her by the scruff of her coat and drive several hard punches into her face and gut. She tasted blood and then, as she reeled, she tasted concrete as she was thrown to the ground.

Barthandelus laughed. "You've come all this way, spent all this time chasing me and look at you." He stepped forward and kicked her in the head. Fang flopped onto her back and stared up into the cloud-strewn sky. Barthandelus reached down and grabbed her chin. "Well, since you did make it this far, how about I introduce you to someone?" He made her look at the man who'd blindsided her. "I'm sure you've heard all about my son here. He tends to go by the name of Orphan."

"Your son?" Fang's mind spun. How could anyone have missed this? Now that the two of them were side by side, there was no mistaking Barthandelus and Orphan as anything but father and son.

Barthandelus smiled softly. "I'm real proud of him. Cid might be better cut out to run the business side of things, but Orphan can do what needs doing." He backed away and glanced at Orphan. "Rough her up."

Fang tried to get her hands to work, but Orphan slammed one fist into her jaw. She went limp and her weak grasp on consciousness got even weaker as he piled a few more punches in and then tossed her across the concrete again. She skidded along the top of the dam, and managed to drag herself to her knees just in time to take another kick in the gut. Darkness clawed at the edges of her vision, but she forced herself to stay awake. She couldn't fail, not now, not when she was so close.

"You should have walked away after Oerba burned," Barthandelus said as Orphan dug in a few more kicks. "I wouldn't have come after you if you'd just stayed out of sight and kept to yourself. But, no, you had to come gunning for me and Cocoon, making all kinds of trouble. I've lost a lot of money because of you and that friend of yours, but it ends today." He made a disgusted sound. "Why can't you see that it was necessary? Your people were a bunch of savages, not an ounce of civilisation between the lot of you. You were sitting on a fortune and what did you do? Nothing!" He laughed. "No, it was better for everybody that I got rid of your people. You were all standing in the way of progress, can't you see that?"

Fang tried to speak, but she could hardly get the words out through all the blood in her mouth. As Orphan lifted her up again, she felt a shiver crawl up her spine. Orphan and Barthandelus had the exact same smile on their faces. They were enjoying this, really enjoying it.

"Well, like I said, this all ends today." Barthandelus stared out over the river. "By sundown, the Al Bhed will be gone and so will you and your friends." His smiled widened. "Tell me, how do you think your friends will go against my son here? I wonder if they'll scream a lot or if they'll keep all quiet like you." He looked at Orphan. "What do you think?"

Orphan shrugged. "I don't know, but I'm sure looking forward to finding out."

Through the haze of pain that had engulfed her, Fang felt a wave of rage bubble up. It didn't matter to her too much if she lived or died so long as she took Barthandelus with her, but the thought of them laying hands on her friends, on Vanille, and Sazh, and Lightning… that was more than she could take. With a low growl, she grabbed hold of Orphan's hands as he yanked her up to her feet. She'd never had to fight all that dirty because she was usually stronger and faster than whoever she was fighting, but she knew how, and she'd watched Vanille plenty. She jerked her head forward into his face and Orphan let go of her out of instinct as he clutched at his broken nose. With his hands out of the way, she jabbed at his throat with her fingers, and then kicked him in the groin as he gagged. Groaning, he sank to his knees, and she grabbed his head and slammed her knee into his face.

That would have been enough to knock most people out, but Orphan wasn't most people. Blindly, he grabbed at her ankle and yanked her off her feet and the two of them tumbled to the ground. They rolled over and over and Fang had to admit she got the worst of it. He was too strong and fast and somehow he managed to get up on top of her. He rained punches down on her, and when she put her arms up to block, he grabbed her by the shoulders and slammed her into the ground again and again. Barely conscious and with her head ringing something fierce, she managed to get one foot between them, and kicked him off.

They circled each other, Orphan wary of her now despite the limp she had and the woozy way she moved. He darted forward and snapped her head back with a punch. As he followed up with another punch, she staggered out of range and kicked out at the side of his knee. He stumbled, and she lunged forward to try and land a punch of her own. Her fist caught him on the side of the head, and he grabbed her arm and heaved her over his shoulder. She hit the ground with a wet thump and felt something in her back or chest crack. Desperate, she kicked out with both feet and managed to trip him. She threw herself on top of him and lashed out with all the strength she had left.

She punched him in the face, the gut, the chest, anything she could reach, she hit. He clawed at her face with his hands and kicked to try and throw her off, but she clung on, hammering away for everything she was worth. In her ears it wasn't the thud of flesh on flesh she heard, it was the crackle of quickly spreading fires as they swept across an open plain. And in her mouth it wasn't blood and bile she tasted, it was ash. Oerba had burned and it didn't matter what she had to do, or whom she had to kill, she wouldn't let Barthandelus get away with it. If Orphan wanted to stand in her way, that was fine, she'd kill him with her bare hands if she had to, bite out his throat if that was what she needed to do.

Finally, he managed to throw her off, and Fang slid across the top of the dam. She came to a stop right next to the ramp that led to the scaffolding. For a moment, she just lay there, the wind and rain buffeting down on her as she tried to find the strength to stand.

"You're even more troublesome than I thought," Barthandelus said. He smiled coldly. "Orphan, just kill her now, we've still got to deal with the others.

Fang watched as Orphan reached for his gun. Her own gun had clattered loose in the struggle and there was no way she'd be able to get to it in time. It was over, she'd failed and Barthandelus had won. And then she saw it, a flash of pink out of the corner of her eye. It was Lightning. The sheriff was right there at the bottom of the ramp.

"Fang!" Lightning shouted as she drew her arm back and flung her pistol up toward Fang.

Fang caught Lightning's gun just as Orphan's hand reached his pistol. There was a blur of motion and then they fired together. For a moment, Fang could only wince, blood bubbling from the wound just above her belt, but there was triumph in her eyes as Orphan swayed and then toppled to the side, a hole blown right through his heart.

"Fang," Lightning cried as she reached the top of the ramp and helped Fang sit up. "You're shot!"

Fang chuckled softly and then let out a hiss as Lightning took a look at the wound. "Nice of you to notice." She smirked. "What took you so long?"

"Stop joking around," Lightning growled and then she fell silent for up ahead of them, Barthandelus had dropped to his knees beside Orphan's body, disbelief written into every line of his old frame, his face twisted into a mask of rage.

"Step away, Lightning," Fang said as she forced herself to stand. "It's time I finished this." She swallowed thickly and pointed at the gun still in Orphan's hand. "Take that gun, Barthandelus, take that gun and face me good and proper."

Barthandelus's fingers slowly pried the gun out of his dead son's grasp. When he stood, his eyes were as cold as the mountains way up north, and his body shook with barely leashed fury. Suddenly, he wasn't just an old man anymore. No, he'd been the one to teach his son how to shoot and now he was going to put those same skills to use once again.

"You've been trailing my company a long time, causing me all kinds of trouble," Barthandelus said, the gun held loosely at his side. His voice was calm, deadly calm. "And for that I was going to kill you. But now you've killed my son and for that I'm going to make you suffer real good, you and all of your friends." His eyes narrowed. "You're going to die, I'll make sure of it myself."

For a long moment, Fang said nothing, but then she spoke, and despite all the wounds she'd taken, her voice rang out clear, and proud, and true. "You killed my people and burned my home, and given half a chance you'd kill me and all my friends, but there are some things that no bullet can kill, that no fire can burn." Her lips curved into a slow, gentle smile. "So, go ahead and draw, the ghosts of Oerba haven't forgotten you, and no bullet you shoot can kill me."

Then there were no words, only the rhythmic pound of the river and the rain on the dam, and the sharp, howling whistle of the wind. They stared into each other's eyes, saw forever skip past with each drop of water that gathered on their faces and trickled down to join the water pooling at their feet. Fang had waited her whole life for this moment, for this one, singular chance to lay the spirits of her people to rest.

And then there was no more waiting, only a rush of movement as Barthandelus brought his gun up faster than any man his age had a right to. But Fang was faster still. His gun had hardly come up level when her first shot all but blew his hand off. Blood spurted from his mangled hand, and he let loose an agonised wail. Her second shot caught him in the shoulder, spinning him round, as his boots skidded on the wet concrete. He stood there, poised on the edge the dam, his ruined hand clutched to his chest, the shoulder of his coat a deep red.

"It wasn't supposed to be this way," Barthandelus growled. "You're just some stupid savage and your people were better off –"

Fang shook her head. "Don't waste your breath."

And with that she fired once more, the last shot catching Barthandelus right between the eyes. His legs went out from under him and he tumbled off the dam and down into the turbulent waters of the river far below.

Fang dropped to her knees. "It's done," she whispered softly. "It's finally done."

Lightning was at her side in a flash. "Fang," Lightning said as she cradled the other woman in her arms. "Don't you dare close your eyes, damn it. Stay awake!" Quickly, she got a bit of her tattered coat ripped off to try and slow the bleeding from Fang's gunshot wound.

Fang groaned. Getting beaten up like that hadn't been good for her, and getting shot hadn't helped much either. With Barthandelus dead, the adrenaline she'd been running on was fading fast and it took everything she had to form her lips into a smirk. "I don't know, Lightning, I'm feeling kind of weak here. What do I get if I can keep my eyes open?"

Lightning's laugh was wild. "Whatever you want, Fang, whatever you want."

"You mean it?" Fang asked softly.

"Of course, I do!" Lightning had to stop herself from shaking Fang silly. Did the other woman really think she was joking?

"Good," Fang said. "Because I'll hold you to that." Her eyes twinkled. "How about a kiss?"

The look on Lightning's face was just about the funniest thing that Fang had ever seen. The sheriff looked like she wasn't sure whether she should laugh, cry, or just punch Fang in the face. Fang grinned. Knowing Lightning, she'd probably do all three, and in that order too. But, no, Lightning didn't do anything of the sort. Instead, Fang's eyes widened as Lightning pressed her lips against hers.

Damn, Fang thought as she leaned up into the kiss and let her eyes flutter shut. There was no way she could let herself die now.

X X X

**Author's Notes**

As always, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off this.

So… the ghosts of Oerba have finally been laid to rest. Our heroes have managed to come out on top, but it wasn't easy, not by a long shot. Other than that, I won't say too much about this chapter, because really, I think it speaks for itself. What I will say, however, is that this chapter is, somehow, slightly longer than the previous one. At the time, I barely noticed, since I wrote the first draft in pretty much one sitting.

One thing that I do want to discuss is making Orphan Barthandelus's son. I thought it would be appropriate given the events of FF XIII that those two have that sort of connection.

For those who are not aware, Weiss and Azul both come from FF VII: DoC. Like the other Tsviets, they are far from pleasant people. This makes them ideal as foils for our heroes. It doesn't hurt that they're pretty mean in a fight too. Azul in particular is quite intimidating, especially if you're as small as Vanille is. In fact, next to Azul, even Snow would look short. Hojo is from FF VII along with Zack, and I must confess to feeling a certain level of glee while writing out Hojo's demise. He's not a particularly nice person and in the end, he probably deserved something even worse than what he got, but hey, the important thing is that he's dead. Everyone else, namely, Fang, Lightning, Sazh, Vanille, Barthandelus, and Orphan are from FF XIII.

As for the last scene… I couldn't resist adding a bit of Fang and Lightning fluff at the end there. It'd be a shame if Fang goes through all that and can't even sneak a kiss for all her trouble. And yes, her jaw probably is very sore and there's blood in her mouth, but sometimes things like that just don't matter. Besides, does anyone really think Fang would pass up an offer like the one she got at the end?

If you're wondering what happens next, don't worry. There's still one chapter to go.

As always, I appreciate your feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	31. Chapter 31

**Champagne Sunrise**

The first thing that Fang felt when she woke up was pain, and plenty of it. It felt a lot like someone had grabbed a big piece of wood and tried to work out just how many times they could whack her with it without killing her. A crooked sort of smile tugged at her lips as she realised that wasn't all that far from the truth.

Real slowly, because right now it kind of hurt even to smile, she forced her eyes to open so that she could take a look around. For starters, she was on a bed, not the softest one she'd ever been on, but nice enough. There was a blanket pulled up to cover her right up to the shoulders, and she could feel a whole lot of bandages wrapped around her body, most of them by her gunshot wound. There was some furniture around the room too, a table, a chair, and set of drawers. They were all a little worn in, but it was a good kind of worn in, the kind that came from long use and fine quality. Then she saw the figure slumped over in a chair in the corner and this time the smile on her face wasn't crooked at all.

Lightning was there on the chair, her legs stretched out in front of her and her head leaning against the back of the chair. The sheriff's hat was laid out on Fang's bedside table, her pink hair falling unbound over her shoulders. Just like Fang, Lightning had a fair few bandages, a couple of them peeking out from beneath the half buttoned shirt she was wearing. That last part in particular drew Fang's eye, and despite the situation, she couldn't help but sneak a quick look at the patch of toned stomach that the half-buttoned shirt exposed. However, her smile faded and a frown crossed her face as she realised just how many bandages Lightning had wrapped around her middle. Was the sheriff hurt? Fang hadn't really been able to pay too much attention to things back when she'd been fighting on the dam, and after that she'd been too busy trying not to bleed to death to really notice anything. Still, Lightning couldn't be too badly off if she was sitting there rather than lying down in a bed some place.

But what really got to Fang was the look on Lightning's face. She'd gotten pretty used to seeing a scowl on Lightning's face, but she'd seen some softer looks on Lightning too, especially as they'd gotten closer and closer to the Al Bhed. Right now though, Lightning's expression was the softest, most unguarded that she'd ever seen it. Whatever frantic need drove Lightning, whatever shadow of the past still pushed her along, none of it was there. Instead, Lightning was just sleeping, her face so calm and peaceful that Fang wanted nothing more than to just reach out and touch her. It was only the immediate stab of pain that she felt when she tried to sit up that made her do otherwise.

Fang had never been much for staring, but she must've stared for a good long while until the door opened and Serah bustled in. The younger Farron took one look at Fang staring at Lightning and smiled. It was a real crafty kind of smile, the kind Vanille usually got when she was planning something tricky. Fang quickly pulled her eyes over to Serah.

"Well, it looks like you're finally awake," Serah said. She smiled gently this time. "We were real worried for a while."

Fang cleared her throat a few times. Even so, her voice came out all hoarse, like she hadn't used it in days. "What happened? How long has it been?"

Serah sat down on the edge of Fang's bed and brought one hand up to the taller woman's forehead to check her temperature. "It's been a week since you and the others settled things up on the dam." She pursed her lips. "Me and the others got the Al Bhed out of the village safely, but we didn't know if it would be safe to go back or not until you and the others turned up bleeding all over the place and looking half dead," she said it lightly, but Fang caught the undercurrent of worry and wondered just how bad they had looked when they had turned up. "Once we knew that things were fine with the dam, we headed back down to the village. There isn't a proper a doctor here, but the Al Bhed have some people who know a thing or two and Lulu and I have done our fair share of doctoring." Just what kind of doctoring Serah had done in the past, Fang didn't have to think about too hard. No doubt, Lightning had come back with her fair share of injuries over the years. "We also had one of the Al Bhed ride over to the train line with a letter to Ashelia. It shouldn't be too long before we hear something back from her, and she'll probably get a real doctor sent down here too."

"Don't worry," Fang said. "I'm sure you and the others did a right good job patching everyone up." She'd meant it as a bit of a joke, but Serah didn't seem in too much of a laughing mood. Still, it wasn't too surprising that there wasn't a real doctor out here. A real, bona fide doctor could get much better pay back in the city and they didn't have to worry about getting shot at either. But Fang wasn't all that worried. Serah had been raised out West, and out West people learned how to do a bit of doctoring of their own, especially when it came to things like broken bones and gunshot wounds. Illnesses were another story, but that wasn't something she and the others had to worry about too much.

"How is everyone else?" Fang asked. She hadn't seen Vanille since they'd parted ways on the dam and she was hoping, hoping as hard as she could that the red head and everyone else would come through things okay. She didn't want any of their blood on her hands, couldn't stand it if things had gone poorly for any of them. They deserved to come out of this okay.

Serah patted Fang's arm. "Easy, Fang, no one's dead, if that's what's worrying you." She grinned. "Oh, they're all pretty banged up, but you probably got the worst of it."

"That so?" Fang asked.

"Just about." Serah lowered her voice a fraction as Lightning shifted a little in her sleep. "Snow and I are pretty much fine. He's got a couple of bruises and cuts and the like, but I don't even have that much. Fujin's pretty banged up, but there's nothing there that a bit of time and rest won't fix. Quistis is a little worse off. She got shot in the shoulder, but it missed the bone, so she should be okay given a bit of rest, although I have to say, it's not easy keeping her in one place." She chuckled softly. "Sazh is banged up too, but he's not even really limping anymore so I figure he should be just fine soon enough. As for my sister, well, Lightning's got a whole lot of bruises and cuts all over the place, but none of them were all that bad. In fact, we just about gave up trying to get her to rest in bed a few days ago. She's spent most of her time in that chair there, waiting for you to wake up and glaring at anyone who even thinks of saying otherwise."

Fang laughed. Lightning didn't seem like the kind of person to take anything lying down. "What about Vanille?"

Serah hemmed and hawed a little. "Well…"

"Don't try to fiddle things around," Fang said quietly. "How bad is it?"

Serah sobered. "She was hurt pretty bad, Fang. Sazh said she was fighting a real big fellow. She must have been tossed around something awful, because she just about collapsed when you all got back here." She sighed. "She's got a few broken ribs and her back and front are pretty much all one big bruise. Her throat was a bit of a mess too, but it's healing nicely now."

Fang wanted to scream. Vanille had gotten messed up, real messed up, and she hadn't been there to look out for her. She might even have died too, if those injuries of hers were anything to go by. The anguish on Fang's face must have been pretty obvious because Serah spoke up again.

"She said you'd be like this," Serah murmured. "That you'd blame yourself. Well, she wanted me to tell you that it was her decision. Besides." And here Serah did smile just a little. "That fellow who beat her up won't be bothering her anymore. She and Sazh saw to that. Besides, she's been whining an awful lot the last day or so, wanting to come over and see you, so she must be getting better."

Fang took a deep breath and forced a smile on her face. "Well, I guess she can't be doing too badly if she's got the strength to whine." She grinned. "What about me?"

Serah grimaced. "You lost a lot of blood before we were able to get the bullet out of you. It was a tough thing patching you up too, without making it worse than it already was. Since then, you've been out like a light." She swallowed thickly. "The first few days were pretty bad, Fang. You got all feverish and we even had to get Snow to hold you down once or twice. Once the fever broke though, you started doing a lot better." She tilted her head to one side. "You really don't remember any of this?"

Fang shook her head. Truth be told, she didn't remember a thing, and the way Serah was describing thing, she was pretty glad about that. "Not really. I remember being on top of the dam and then nothing until I woke up just now."

"Well, you're awake now, which is all that matters." Serah smiled gently at Lightning. "She really has been here pretty much the whole time."

"You mentioned that," Fang said with a smile.

Serah laughed lightly. "I got the feeling that Quistis would have tried to bully her into resting in a proper bed, but that shoulder of hers was hurting too much to let her try, and I know that Snow wasn't game to give it a go." She glanced over at Lightning. "She was pretty insistent that she wanted to be here when you woke up, but it looks like staying up for the last few nights finally got to her. She really can be stubborn."

Fang grinned. "I know." And then she stopped because Lightning had finally started to wake, no doubt stirring because of their voices.

A moment later, emerald met cerulean as the sheriff's eyes opened and locked on Fang's. Lightning's eyes widened just a fraction and then narrowed for what Fang could just tell was going to be one heck of a scolding.

"Looks like you've finally decided to join us, Fang." Lightning's voice was calm, almost hard, actually, but there was a trace of worry in it that the sheriff couldn't hide. "You sure took your time."

Fang smirked at Lightning. "Well, I've never been too good at doing things on time."

Lightning's eye twitched and she pushed to her feet, wincing a little as she did so. Glaring, she moved to stand beside Fang's bed. "You owe me big, you know. I had to carry out all the way back. It wasn't like there was anyone else to do it either, what with Vanille and Sazh being pretty beat up too."

Fang chuckled. "Fair enough." She waggled her eyebrows as best she could. "How about this? The next time you want to be carried around, you just give me a holler. I'll be right there to pick you up." Lightning glared and Fang took a long moment to bask in it before she noticed the odd lump in Lightning's front shirt pocket. "Hey, what's that?"

"What's what?" Lightning asked before she followed Fang's gaze. With a ghost of a smile on her face, Lightning pulled out a mangled sheriff's star and put it on the bedside table. There was a bullet imbedded right in the middle of it. "This is a little something I picked up on the dam." She touched the bullet. "Quite a souvenir, I think."

"On the dam?" Fang took a moment to understand what that meant and then it hit her. Lightning had almost died up there. Hell, if that hadn't had the sheriff's star on her, she probably would have. It didn't matter how strong or fast you were, getting shot in the heart had a tendency to be fatal. "You almost –" The thought of Lightning lying down there on the ground, empty eyes turned up at the sky with a big patch of red over her chest was too terrible to even think about. Without realising it, she tried to get up, only to feel a stab of pain ripple through her middle.

"Relax," Lighting said quietly as she pushed Fang back down onto the bed. "I know I was lucky. But there's no point in worrying about what's already been." She closed her eyes and when they opened, Fang found herself feeling just a little bit nervous. Lightning didn't look too pleased. "And speaking of worrying, do you know how much you had all of us worrying?" Fang opened her mouth to say something, but Lightning ran right over the top of her. "What were you thinking up there on the dam, Fang? You'd just been shot and instead of just shooting Barthandelus, you spent all that time talking, and all the while you were bleeding all over the place. Honestly, were you trying to get yourself killed?"

Fang looked at Serah for a bit of help, but the younger Farron would have none of it. Instead, Serah just gave her a sunny smile and went out the door, leaving Fang and Lightning alone. Still, despite the scolding that she was getting, Fang couldn't help but grin. Everyone was alive and Lightning most definitely cared.

X X X

Over the next few days, Fang had a steady stream of visitors. Lightning was there the whole time, watching everything like a hawk, almost like she was afraid to let Fang out of her sight. Snow was the first one to come along, together with Quistis and Fujin. The big man looked pretty pleased to see her and Fang was glad that all the fighting hadn't put a dampener on his disposition. As for the two marshals, they made quite a sight, both of them staggering around almost like they were drunk, and Quistis with her arm in a sling to boot. But by far the visit she enjoyed the most was when Vanille and Sazh dropped by.

"Fang!" Vanille cried as she hobbled toward the bed, making all sorts of noises as her body only partially cooperated. Sazh gave a great sigh and then reached out to take Vanille gently by the arm, both to help steady her, and also to slow her down. "You're okay!"

Fang grinned. "Okay? Well, I guess that's one way to put it. How are you two doing? Serah's told me a little, but I'd like to hear it from you two, as well."

Sazh led Vanille over to Fang's bed and then groaned theatrically, rubbing at his hip and shoulder. "Let me put it this way… I've been better." They all chuckled. "But really Fang, this better be the last time you drag me into a mess like this, because these old bones of mine aren't quite what they used to be."

Fang smiled. Sazh couldn't be doing too badly at all if he was already complaining about his age. "Oh, stop complaining, old man." She smirked. "You've been through worse, or is that old head of yours forgetting that Vanille and me used to tag along with you on all those bounties of yours?" She looked at Vanille. "How about you, Vanille? Serah said you were pretty banged up."

Vanille straightened up, making a lot of creaking noises as she did. "Like Sazh said, I've been better." She smiled weakly. "I've got three broken ribs, more bruises than I care to count, and my front and back are banged up too." She tilted her head to one side and Fang finally saw the deep bruises that still hung about the red head's neck. Vanille followed her gaze. "Oh, those?" She pointed at her throat. "They look worse than they are, I guess." She made a face. "The first few days were horrible though. I sounded like a frog, and I couldn't eat anything tougher than gruel and you know what I think about gruel, right?" She laughed. "But don't worry, Sazh and I got the fellow. He won't be bothering anyone anymore, not with a hole in his head and his face melted off."

"You melted his face off?" For a second, Fang forgot how to be angry. "Just how in the heck did you do that?"

Vanille grinned. "He got a little cocky. He figured that since he was so much bigger than me, he could just bully me around a lot before killing me. I managed to get him with some my acid, you know, the kind I use for melting locks and things. I got him right in the face with it, really gave him a thing or two to think about." She smirked. "And then Sazh got him in the head, so he's about as dead as a person can get."

Fang nodded. "Well, he got lucky. If you two hadn't killed him, I'd have had to go after him, and I'll tell you something – acid to the face and a bullet in the head don't even come close to what I'd have done to him." Despite the tough talk, it was a little bit hard to be threatening when she still couldn't leave bed. Vanille and Sazh must have thought the same thing too, because they had a good chuckle at her expense.

"All right," Fang said. "That's enough laughing. You two just wait until I can get up and about. I'll show you who's boss." She glanced at Sazh and then at Lightning, who was sitting in the corner, but hadn't said a word. "You two mind giving Vanille and I a bit of alone time? We've got things we need to talk about."

Once the others were out of the room, Vanille wrapped her arms around Fang as best she could. "What are we going to do now, Fang?"

Fang tugged Vanille a little closer and pressed her face into the red head's hair. It was something she'd been thinking about an awful lot lately, not that she could do much more than think in her condition. "I don't really know, Vanille," she said after a long while of just holding Vanille. "We've been hoping and wishing that we could set things right for so long that… I guess I never gave much thought to what'd come after." In all honesty though, Fang hadn't even been sure that there would been an after. Back before they'd met Lightning and the others, back when it'd just been her and Vanille up against Cocoon, she'd been pretty sure she wouldn't make it, although she'd have done her best to make sure that Vanille did. "I think it might be best to head back to Eden City with the others once we're all fit enough to travel. I figure that once Shinra knows what happened here – and that's assuming they don't already – they'll make their move in the courts. I want to make sure that they finish Cocoon up good and proper, that everything's done once and for all." She paused, a shaky sort of smile crossing her face. "After that… well, I figure we can do whatever we want."

"Whatever we want?" Vanille's voice was soft and filled with wonder "In that case, I want to have a chocobo ranch. It'll be big and I'll have so many chocobos that people will think I'm crazy."

Fang chuckled and patted Vanille on the head. "Well, you have to admit, you are a little crazy."

X X X

A week or so with the Al Bhed quickly turned into two as the villagers continued to get things fixed up from all the fighting. By the end of the second week, Fang was fit enough to get out and about for a little while, and it didn't take her long to appreciate just how much of a hit the village had taken. There were craters all over the place from what had to be some of Vanille's explosives. A fair few buildings had been shot up too badly to fix up too, and there were lots of others that would need a fair bit of working on. It didn't help matters much that the rains had done their usual work, bringing down any buildings that weren't in good shape to begin with, and damaging a heap of others too.

Still, by the time the third week had gotten started, the rains had all but tapered off and the repair work could really get a move on. All of the Al Bhed pitched in, Rikku running all over the place and ordering everyone around. A couple of the Al Bhed didn't look too keen on taking orders from the girl, but she had helped save the lot of them, so it wasn't like they had much choice. Fang also had a pretty good time watching Zack help out too. He wasn't too popular to begin with – he had sort of worked for Cocoon before switching sides – but he was a hard worker and Rikku and the others had spoken for him. What really got the tension eased up though was seeing Zack kiss dirt after making one too many passes at Lulu. It was just the sort of payback that the Al Bhed had been waiting for and after that they took it much easier on him. Rikku, of course, had rubbed salt into the wood, loudly declaring that Zack was worse with women than a drunken chocobo.

Midway into the third week, Dr Cid Kramer turned up courtesy of Ashelia. The old man took one look at Quistis and laid right into her. Apparently, the two of them went a fair way back, because Quistis looked a lot like a kid getting scolded by her father. He did what even Fujin hadn't been able to do, and got the marshal to stop trying to help out with all the repairs despite her bad shoulder. As for the rest of them, Cid gave them a fair decent scolding too, something about them all being crazy and being too much trouble for a man his age to be dealing with. Not too surprisingly, he and Sazh got along just fine. Later, when Fang asked Quistis about Cid – he hadn't taken things like a normal doctor would have – she found out that he'd been a marshal once, a pretty famous one too, before things had gone bad for him and he'd left to become a doctor full time.

In any case, Cid had been mighty impressed by the job that Serah, Lulu, and the Al Bhed had done getting them patched up. After giving all of them a pretty thorough looking over, he pronounced that there really wasn't all that much else he could do for them. The only thing left, really, was for them to just take it easy and let their injuries heal. It would probably be another fortnight before they were ready to hit the road and even then, they'd have to take things slower than usual. Once he'd taken a look at all of them, it wasn't long before Cid was helping the Al Bhed out. A fair number of them had also been injured in the fighting, and there were others with complaints that only a real doctor could deal with, and it wasn't likely they'd get another of Cid's quality around for quite some time.

It was during the nights that Cid talked to them about the goings on in Eden City. They gathered around a big table in Lulu's house and listened in as the marshal turned doctor filled them in. Not surprisingly, Rikku was there too. Heck, the girl seemed to practically live in Lulu's house, even if she was supposed to have her own place somewhere else in the village.

"It was a real mess," Cid said. "But I guess you're more interested in just what kind of mess."

Fang nodded. "That'd be much appreciated, Cid."

"Just keep in mind that I left Eden City more than a week back, so what I'm going to say is a little out of date." Cid grinned. "Not too long after Ashelia got that letter of yours about what had happened down here, Shinra brought a case against Cocoon in the courts. I wasn't able to get a look at everything, but a friend of mine still works in the courts over in Eden City and he told me a thing or two. Shinra's got a pretty strong case, and if my reading of the law is right, some of their evidence is just plain dynamite." He looked at Quistis and nodded. "You did a right good job with that Quisits. With all that paperwork you turned over, even a fool could run a decent case, and Shinra's lawyers are about as far from fools as you can get." He chuckled. "They'd only just started when I left, but the lawyers Cocoon hired looked mighty nervous, and I figure that by the time you lot head back, it should be close to over." He paused and his look turned suddenly serious. "Shinra will be waiting for you though. They probably want some of you to testify about all of the happenings down here, you know, just to really nail Cocoon right to the wall. That shouldn't be a problem for you, Quistis, or Fujin, for that matter, and the sheriff here should be just fine. However…" he glanced at Fang and Vanille. "Those two might be different."

Fang caught onto Cid's meaning right away. She and Vanille had set out with one goal in mind: to wipe out Cocoon. They'd even become wanted criminals to do it, even if pretty much all their crimes had been against Cocoon and its holdings. The others though, were different. Quistis, Fujin, and Lightning were all on the right side of the law, and when they got right down to it Cocoon had been the one to come after them. The fact was if Fang and Vanille testified, they'd probably find themselves behind bars along with people from Cocoon.

"They died out here," Lightning said softly but firmly. "There was a lot of fighting out here and they were killed in the middle of all of it. That's how it went."

Fang swallowed back the lump in her throat. Lightning was a real principled person, a good and decent person. She'd kind of expected Lightning to look the other way, but to hear the other woman actually offer her a way out was something special indeed.

Cid's eyes were calm. "I figured you'd say something like that." He grinned. "I'll be sure to pass that along when I get back."

"It's the least we can do." Lightning glanced around the table. "Anyone else think different?"

No one did.

"Good," Lightning said. "Then Quistis, Fujin, and I can testify, if that's what Shinra needs. That's two marshals and a sheriff. If they want to nail Cocoon's coffin shut, that should be plenty."

Cid nodded. "It should indeed." He laughed softly and shook his head from side to side. "I still can't quite wrap my head around all this. I've seen a lot of things in my time, but I never thought I'd see a group like this take down a company like Cocoon."

Fang grinned. "What can I say? We're pretty damn good, aren't we?"

All up, Cid stayed another week just to make sure that everything was going all right before he headed back for Eden City. He claimed that the damp wasn't good for his old bones, but Quistis said it had more to do with his wife. Something had happened to her a while back, something that made Cid real nervous about leaving her for long.

As for the rest of them, they waited another fortnight before they decided that they were all well enough to head off too. Even though the sun was shining as they headed out of the village, it was a pretty sad day. The Al Bhed lived pretty nicely, and for Fang and Vanille, it was almost like being back in Oerba again. Vanille and Rikku had also become pretty good friends, and they came pretty close to crying as they hugged each other and promised to write as often as they could. Fang wasn't sure exactly how they'd manage that – she and Vanille didn't really have a fixed address – but she figured that if they needed to, they could always get Rikku to send her letters to Sazh and then swing by to pick them up. Lulu and Serah were also sad to see each other go, seeing as how they'd been friends ever since Serah had studied teaching in Eden City, but they promised to write too, and Lulu left Serah with a few carefully worded comments about a certain stockman that had the younger woman blushing up a storm.

Then they were on the road again, riding back for the train line. It was a nicer trip this time around, even if it took twice as long since they weren't quite back to normal yet. Still, without anyone trying to kill them, they could take things real easy, and they spent a lot of time joking around and telling stories about all the fighting now that enough time had passed that it didn't seem quite so scary anymore.

Just like the first time, Fang and Lightning usually took the first watch each night. That was Fang's favourite part of the whole thing. The two of them would just sit there, talking quietly about whatever came to mind, just shooting the breeze really. Even more than the kiss they'd shared, that was how Fang knew that things had changed between them. When people really liked each other, just talking was enough. It didn't have to be about anything big or important, just so long as they were talking to each other.

The train ride back was also a lot better the second time around. For starters, there weren't dozens of people trying to fill them with bullets, and second, the view was a lot better now that the rains had gone.

Almost two months after they'd left the first time, they finally got back to Eden City.

X X X

Lahna was right there the moment they got off the train. She was wearing her prettiest dress and Dajh was standing right next to her, his face one big smile as he saw his father step off the train. Lahna though, was another story.

"You've got some nerve!" Lahna growled as she marched right up to Sazh. He took one look at the thunderous expression on her face and wondered if maybe he shouldn't get back on the train. "Well? You going to start explaining what you were thinking or is our boy here going to have to grow up without a father?"

Not too far from Sazh, Fang watched in utter amusement as the poor fellow gaped and struggled to put two words together. He finally managed to get his head together, but before he could speak, Lahna had one arm around his neck and got him down into a pretty mean looking headlock. The sight of it was enough to have a fair few other passengers stopping to gawk, but Lahna sent a vicious glare their way and they were wise enough to look away.

"It wasn't exactly my fault, honey," Sazh said as he tried to break out of the headlock. "It kind of just happened."

"Kind of just happened?" Lahna huffed as she pulled away to scowl at her husband. In the meantime, Dajh had come forward to wrap his arms around Sazh's legs, Chirpy popping up from his hair to give Sazh a makeshift hug too. "How exactly did things just happen?" Lahna's voice was still plenty angry, but her eyes were watering now, and her breathing was hitching something fierce as she pressed on. "You stupid man! How do you think I felt? All you left me was that little note and then I get a letter from Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca of all people telling me that you might have gotten into a little trouble, but that you'd be coming back soon and… and…"

Fang and the others had the decency to turn away as Sazh took to consoling Lahna. The other woman might be real fierce, but it was pretty easy to see that she'd been real scared too. Knowing Sazh, the note he'd left probably hadn't been all that detailed, so Lahna hadn't been sure what to think. Then, when Lahna had gotten a letter from Ashelia, who had probably used her not inconsiderable wealth to track her down, she'd probably assumed the worst. Lahna probably wasn't sure whether she should kill Sazh or kiss him, although a quick look back at the couple, told Fang that she'd apparently settled on the latter, which was a relief.

However, that relief didn't last long as Lahna wiped a few stubborn tears away and then rounded on her and Vanille.

"Vanille," Lahna cried as she wrapped her arms around the red head. "I've been so worried. I spoke to that nice doctor who looked at all of you and he told me you were pretty beat up, but here you are, and thank goodness, you look like you're doing well." She hugged Vanille a little harder and the red head twitched. "Oh, you poor dear, you're not still hurting are you?" She eased up a little. "Well, you're safe now. No one's going to lay one more hand on you."

And then Lahna turned to Fang. Slowly, Fang took one step back, and then another as Lahna raised one hand. Fang tensed, ready for a slap or a punch, but nothing happened. Instead, Lahna was holding her hand out, lips pursed into a thin line.

"Huh?" Was all Fang could think to say.

Lahna scowled. "Well, aren't you going to shake my hand?"

Slowly, Fang put her own hand out and the two of them shook hands. "I was kind of thinking that you'd punch me in the face or something." Behind Lahna, Sazh and Vanille nodded. They'd been thinking pretty much the same thing too.

Lahna's lips curled a little at the edges. "I won't lie to you. The first few weeks after Sazh left to go after you and Vanille, the only thing that kept me going was the thought of giving you a good hit on the jaw, but after a while, I started thinking on things a little more." She paused and looked away, clearly not too comfortable with what she was saying. "Sazh is my husband and… well… you and Vanille are like daughters to him, so I guess that means you're my daughters too."

Fang's eyes widened.

"Mind you, Vanille's the good daughter. You're the troublesome one, you know, the loud, annoying, rude one who's always bringing trouble." Lahna sighed and then looked back at Fang. "But you did bring them back to me in one piece, a little beat up, sure, but they're here now, so I guess I can't be too mad at you."

Fang grinned. "Does that mean we're friends?"

Lahna smiled thinly and then pulled Fang into a hug. When she spoke, her voice was a whisper just loud enough for Fang to hear, but there was no mistaking that she meant every word she said. "If you ever drag my husband into another mess like that, Fang, so help me…"

By the time Lahna pulled away, Fang was feeling a little queasy. Lahna had been very creative about what she said she'd do to her if Sazh got into any more trouble. Luckily for Fang, Basch and Ashelia chose right that moment to show up.

"It's good to see you all again," Basch said. "We've got rooms laid out for all of you, so if you wouldn't mind coming with us, we've got a few carriages waiting."

Vanille grinned. "We're staying with you again?"

Ashelia nodded. "Of course." She paused. "Unless that's a problem?"

Vanille shook her head. "Nope, no problem at all." She sighed. "I can't wait to sleep in a real bed after so long."

Lahna's only response to Vanille's comment was to send another glare Fang's way. Shooting Sazh an aggravated look, Fang threw her hands up in the air. Honestly, blaming her for dragging Sazh into a bit of trouble was one thing, blaming her for a lack of good bedding was another. One of these days, she thought. One of these days…

X X X

The next week or so proved to be mighty interesting for Fang. She found out from Basch and Ashelia that the court case against Cocoon was going almost too well. Shinra had waited a long time for a chance like this and they weren't about to make a mess of it. Not only had they assembled a downright formidable case, they'd even managed to set things up so that they had a favourable judge too. That was probably Rufus Shinra's work. The man had a reputation for being sharp and planning well, and with Barthandelus dead, Cid nowhere to be found, and Hojo blown to bits, Cocoon had almost no chance of defending itself at all. From the looks of things, Cocoon was going to be pulled apart, a few bits of it going to Shinra, but most of it going to the government. It wasn't perfect, but for Fang, it was good enough. Cocoon was dead.

Of course, the testimony that Lightning, Quistis, and Fujin gave had a lot to do with that too. Going after a sheriff and two marshals hadn't won Cocoon any friends, and had driven just about every lawman onto Shinra's side, at least for the time being. Vanille had a great time reading out all the newspapers that were writing about the case. After all, Lightning was pretty famous out West, and Quistis was pretty well known too. Reeve could have testified too, but Fang wasn't too surprised when he decided to lay low. They already had more than enough on Cocoon, and he'd never been one to look for attention. In fact, his whole way of doing things relied on him not getting too much attention.

It didn't surprise Fang much either that with the case all but decided, she got a message from Reeve. Despite the fact that she was supposed to be dead, Rufus Shinra wanted to talk to her.

Their meeting was scheduled late at night in the same place that she and Reeve usually met. It was the right kind of place for shady dealings, since there was nothing too unusual about people who were supposed to be dead showing up alive in that part of Eden City, nor was it that odd for someone like Rufus to turn up either. Rather than bring Vanille or any of the others along, Fang went on her own. If there was more trouble brewing, she'd head it off herself.

She got there a little early and ordered a bottle of whiskey. She'd just poured herself a glass when Rufus walked in. He was a pretty decent looking fellow, well groomed, and dressed in a white suit that looked more than a little out of place in a dingy saloon in the bad end of town. Still, if anyone wanted to give him trouble, they wouldn't find it easy. There were two men with him, one on either side. The one of his right was a tall, powerfully built dark-skinned man, while the one on the right was a read head with a wild look about him and long, unkempt hair. Rufus spotted her right away and took a seat, the dark-skinned man sitting too, as the red head went straight to the bar to order a drink.

"You want any whiskey?" Fang asked, pushing her bottle of whiskey across the table.

Rufus shook his head. "No, I can't say that I do." He glanced over at the bar. "Reno would probably appreciate a bit of that once he's finished his own drink though."

Fang chuckled. "He's one of your bodyguards, right? Should he really be drinking on the job?"

Rufus smiled faintly. "Reno can handle his liquor, and even if he couldn't, Rude here." He glanced at the dark-skinned man beside him. "Can handle things just fine." He inclined his head at the whiskey. "I notice you haven't touched any of it yourself though."

Fang shrugged. "I was saving it for later. I figured I might need it depending on how this little chat of ours goes."

Rufus chuckled quietly. "That so?" He looked at her carefully. "Do you know why I asked to meet you?"

Fang glanced at the bar out of the corner of her eye. Reno looked to be arguing with the bartender over the price of a drink. "Well, when someone asks to meet somebody who's supposed to be dead, there are usually only two things they want. Either you want to make me dead for real, or you've got a job offer." She paused and glanced at the door of the saloon. "Seeing as how you came with just two people, I figure you've got a job offer for me."

Rufus smiled, widely this time. "That's about the size of things, Fang." He folded his hands on the table. "I do have something of a business proposition for you."

"That so?" Fang said. "Well, out with it then."

"I'll be blunt," Rufus said. "You're a remarkable woman, Fang, and I like having remarkable people working for me." She shot a glance at Reno and Rufus chuckled. "I assure you, Fang, that despite his… problems, Reno is quite useful. But, to return to my offer, I'd like you to come work for me. Shinra might not deal in quite the same sort of thing as Cocoon, but every company has problems that need fixing, and you seem like a woman who can get things done." He smiled. "I assure you, the pay is very, very good. There's a spot for Vanille too, if she wants it."

"That seems pretty generous." Fang gazed evenly across the table at Rufus. "But, what if I say no? What then?"

Rufus shrugged. "I think you'll find that I'm a great deal more reasonable than a man like Barthandelus. Cocoon went after you and we all know how that turned out. No, if you refuse my offer, well, we'll just go our separate ways." Fang's surprise must have shown, because Rufus smiled. "Please, don't be so surprised. I've got no quarrel with you and you've got no quarrel with me or Shinra, and that's how I'd like to keep it, so if you don't take me up on my offer, well that's just too bad. But so long as you keep out of my business, I don't see any reason to meddle with yours." He smirked. "There are different ways of doing business, Fang, but one thing I learned early on that Barthandelus never did, is that you don't make enemies unless you have to, especially not dangerous ones like you."

"That's mighty reasonable of you," Fang said. "But I am a little curious about one thing. Zack was with us when we got here, but I haven't seen him for the last few days. I don't suppose you'd have something to do with that?"

Rufus smiled thinly. "I assure you, Mister Fair isn't dead. You can even ask Reeve, if you like. No, I've had a little chat with Zack. True, he's done wrong by me and Shinra, but he did help bring down Cocoon and that counts for plenty." He paused. "All things considered, I decided that we're even now. Zack's decided to head West and we've decided to let him."

"That's good to hear," Fang said. She didn't like Zack all that much, but he seemed like a decent enough person. "Still, I'm afraid I'll have to turn down your offer. It was right generous of you, but I've got other things lined up."

"I see." Rufus stood up. "That's a pity then, still, I sort of expected it." He reached into his pocket and put a card on the table. "Still, if you ever change your mind, you should know that I'll be keeping a spot open at Shinra for you."

Fang smirked. "I wouldn't bother."

Rufus smirked back. "Till next time then." He turned to the bar and sighed. "Come on, Reno, we're leaving."

X X X

As Fang headed back to the house where she and all the others were staying, she wasn't quite sure what to think. She'd just turned down a whole heap of money for a future that could, at best, be called uncertain. It didn't help her state of mind that Lightning and the others would be headed back to Bodhum in the morning. They'd been away a long time now, and she knew that Lightning was keen to get back to her town, to make sure it kept on getting better and better. Still, Fang hurt a little inside. She and Lightning had talked a lot on the way back, not to mention their kiss on the top of the dam, but over the last couple of days, Lightning had gotten all quiet. It was almost like she didn't want Fang around anymore, and that thought scared Fang more than she cared to admit.

When she got back into the house, the first place she went was the dining room. She'd been too tense to eat much during dinner, and just like she'd expected there was still some food set out for her. However, she hadn't been expecting Lightning to be there too, the sheriff sitting at the head of the table with some papers laid out in front of her.

"You're back," Lightning said.

Fang took a seat not far from her and reached for an apple. "Yes, I'm back."

Before Fang could take a bite out of the apple, Lightning got up and took it from her. Fang would have scowled, but Lightning just smiled faintly and placed the papers in front of Fang. "Take a look at these."

"Why?" Fang asked. "What are they?"

Lightning just smiled again, soft and gentle. "Just look, Fang."

Fang read through the papers. Then she read them again. After the third time reading through them, she finally looked up, and had to blink back tears. "How… what… how?"

"I know I've been quiet the last few days, Fang, but I wanted to get these done. No, I needed to get these done before me and the others headed back to Bodhum." Lightning reached over and took Fang's hand in hers. "They're real, you know."

Fang looked back at the papers in front of her. If she was reading them right then… then they were basically papers giving her and Vanille new identities. There were even two birth certificates there with her and Vanille's names on them. But most of all, her eyes were drawn to the adoption papers, adoption papers with her and Vanille's names on them and Sazh listed as their father.

"It was tricky," Lightning said as Fang continued to stare at the papers in front of her. "But Amodar still has a lot of pull, and so does Cid. It helps too that Quistis has a fair bit of clout, especially after helping to bring down Cocoon." She pointed to the papers. "All of it will stand up, even in court. For all intents and purposes, Sazh Katzroy met Oerba Yun Fang and Oerba Dia Vanille in an orphanage way out West a long time ago and adopted them." She paused and then went on. "The warrants on the Bahamut Bandit and Vanille the Kid are gone too. The word is that the two of you died over in all the fighting between us and Cocoon and seeing as there's no one around who can say otherwise…"

Fang looked up at Lightning. "Why'd you do all this?"

Lightning reached up and cupped Fang's cheek with one hand. "Because it's what you and Vanille deserve, and because… because I'm a little selfish too, I suppose."

"What do you mean by that?" Fang whispered, reaching up to put one hand over Lightning's.

"I heard you got an offer today, Fang, a real good offer," Lightning said.

"Reeve told you didn't he?" Fang muttered. "Real nosy fellow, isn't he?"

Lightning laughed softly. "I guess he is. He even sent Cait Sith to find me, and I have to tell you, that cat is just a little too smart to be normal." She paused. "Did you take the offer, Fang?"

Fang shook her head. "No. Actually, I was kind of hoping that offer of yours might still be open…"

Lightning nodded, eyes very bright. "It's still open, Fang, if you want it. I can't promise the pay will be as good, but I could really use a deputy, and I'm sort of hoping my company might make up the difference."

"Damn straight it does," Fang said. "But then… why all the papers?"

Lightning chuckled. "That's why I said I was being selfish. I wanted you to come back with me Fang. I didn't want you to go, but I can't exactly hire a wanted criminal on as a deputy, now can I?"

Fang laughed, feeling so happy she could barely speak. "No, no, I guess you can't."

Lightning pulled away from Fang and extended one hand. "You know, it's good business to shake on a deal, Fang."

Fang grinned. "Shaking hands is a little boring. I can think of something better." And with that she tugged Lightning over and sealed the bargain with a kiss.

X X X

The next morning, Fang and Vanille headed over to the train station with Lightning, Serah, and Snow. The others tagged along, and more than a few tears were shed as everyone said goodbye. Then the train was there and the five of them were hopping on, still feeling pretty sleepy seeing as how it was just going on dawn.

As the train pulled out of the station and raced out into open country, Fang took a look out the window. The sun was rising, the whole sky lighting up in so many shades of pink and yellow that she couldn't help but stop and stare. It was a real champagne sunrise, and it seemed just right to have it there, its growing light fluttering in through the windows as Vanille nodded off on her shoulder, and Serah curled up against Lightning.

"What are you thinking?" Lightning asked.

Fang smiled. "That maybe, for the first time since Oerba burned… I'm home."

X X X

**Author's Notes**

As always, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off this.

Well, that's the end of it, folks. I'm not sure quite what to say about this chapter, except that it felt right to have things end this way. Sometimes the good guys really do win. It's kind of funny, but I had sort of thought of writing this chapter from Lightning's point of view. In the end though, I realised that as much as this was Lightning's story, it was Fang's, as well, and that if things had started with Lightning, it was only fair that Fang round things out. I will say, however, that I am glad that this story had a happy ending. I loved writing Headed West, but adding a happy ending to that story would have gutted it. At least this time around, our heroes get their happy ending.

As with Headed West, there will be an extended author's note in the next chapter, offering a kind of 'behind the scenes' look at the writing of this story (the answer: chaos, and lots of it). There will also be a teaser at the end of the extended author's note, although about what I won't say.

For those who aren't aware of it, Rufus Shinra, Rude, Reno, Zack, and Reeve are from FF VII; Quistis, Fujin, and Cid are from FF VIII; Lulu and Rikku are from FF X; Ashelia and Basch are from FF XII; and Lightning, Fang, Vanille, Serah, Sazh, Snow, Dajh, Cid, and Barthandelus are from FF XIII.

I would also like to thank everyone for taking the time to read this story. I've always found writing enjoyable, and your support has only made the experience better. It may sound trite, but your encouragement has made a different. The reviews and comments that I've received are very much appreciated, and even just knowing that people are reading this story makes me feel a little warm inside.

Thank you.

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	32. Chapter 32

**Extended Author's Notes**

I will begin by warning everyone that what follows is not another chapter of the story. Instead, what I will be doing is trying to provide a bit of insight into how the story itself was written. It is not my intent to come across as pretentious. However, whenever I read anything, I often find myself wondering about what the author was thinking. This extended author's note is my way of satisfying anyone else who might have similar inclinations. As promised in the previous chapter, there is a bit of a teaser at the end of these notes, so if you want, you could simply skip to that (the teaser starts about halfway down).

I first started thinking about writing this story during the last few months of writing up my dissertation. Now, I can't say how it was for other people, but for me, writing my dissertation was both one of the most rewarding things I've ever done, and one of most soul-destroying things I've ever done. I love the field of research that I am in, but there comes a point, usually after the umpteenth revision of a particular chapter of the dissertation, when you begin to question your sanity. When you reach that point, and everyone eventually does, it becomes as much a battle of attrition as a measure of intellect and research capability. To help get myself through it, I decided to adopt the good old 'carrot and stick' approach. In this case, I didn't have to try very hard to come up with a 'stick'. A poor dissertation would not only result in the withholding of the relevant degree, it would also reflect badly on both myself, and my supervisor. Needless to say, I wasn't much looking forward to either of those things occurring, especially since my supervisor and I happen to get along very well, not to mention the fact that I really, really wanted to get that degree. Coming up with a 'carrot' was a little trickier. There were, of course, the prestige and career opportunities associated with getting the degree, but I wanted a little bit extra. So the whole time I was writing, I kept telling myself that once I was finished with the dissertation I could write whatever I wanted. That might sound somewhat odd, but I really did find the thought of being able to write whatever I wanted after months of working on my dissertation to be quite appealing indeed.

To cut a long story short, my tactic worked. I finished my dissertation and submitted it only a few days before I went on holiday at the end of last year. However, one of the first things I did after finishing my dissertation was to write the first chapter of Stetsons and Fal'Cie. In fact, that first chapter was written the very next day, and for those of you that are curious, you needn't worry. I did, in fact, get my degree (just what kind of degree, I'll leave to your imagination).

Something that I've mentioned before, which I think is worth repeating, is that one of my favourite novels of all time is the novel "Shane" by Jack Schaefer. It was that novel that got my interested piqued in perhaps writing a Western themed story for Final Fantasy XIII. Indeed, the very first chapter of Stetsons and Fal'Cie in which Lightning nurses a bottle of soda pop is modelled after one of my favourite scenes from "Shane" in which the hero, Shane, tries to make peace with an enemy of his by offering him a bottle of soda pop, only to end up in a fight.

What separates Stetsons and Fal'Cie from traditional Westerns like "Shane" and my other story, Headed West, is the relatively large amount of humour that is present in it. When I first started writing Stetsons and Fal'Cie, I decided almost immediately that I wanted there to be a fair bit of humour involved, even if Westerns tend to lend themselves to a more serious atmosphere. I've always liked humour, both reading it and writing it, so I really wanted to work some in. Although I think it's important for a writer to be versatile, it is also important for a writer to know their strengths, and I'd like to think that my humour is at least a little amusing, if perhaps occasionally odd.

Before talking about the story in more detail, I want to take a few moments to address how the story was written in a more technical sense. Stetsons and Fal'Cie was my first attempt to write a Western themed piece, and I think it shows, especially in the first few chapters when I was still trying to find my feet, so to speak. However, I was fortunate in that I was also writing Headed West at the same time, which definitely helped me grasp the style a little better, despite the somewhat more serious tone of Headed West. There is, after all, very little that can compare to the benefits of practice.

Speaking of practice, when writing each chapter, my standard procedure was to begin by writing out an initial draft. When writing this draft, my main goal was to get my ideas onto the page. It didn't matter how badly I wrote, or how little things made sense, I just wrote. This serves a number of purposes. For one, it avoids the problem of perfectionism. It is tempting and often worthwhile to seek perfection in the things that we do. However, when it comes to drafting something that you've written, perfection just isn't a particularly realistic goal. Indeed, the drive to perfect the first draft can often lead to people getting stuck without having written very much at all. In contrast, it is much easier to write a horrible first draft and then fix it up later.

The other purpose that a first (initial) draft serves is to iron out any problems with continuity or story telling. For example, things like where characters are during a scene, or what the scenery is during a particular chapter are often easy to lose track of. Having a first draft lets you go back and check that all of these kinds of things match up, and if not, then you can correct them in the next draft. The first draft was also particularly important for me when it came to writing the fight scenes. Throughout my life, I've read through what I think are a decent number of books. However, I've also read swathes of comics and manga, and watched more anime and movies than is probably normal. I also spent a decade and a half practicing martial arts before several injuries made it difficult to continue. As a result, I like to be able to visualise the fights that I'm writing about, because if I can't see them in my head, then there's no way I'll be able to describe them to you in a way that will let you see them in your head too. When writing a fight scene, a first draft lets me try and work out things like how the combatants will be moving as they fight, how they will interact with the environment, and just what the set up will be (e.g., how the buildings are laid out, how many opponents there are, etc.). Once I've got all of those details in place, it's usually much easier to flesh the fight scenes out, because I can be confident that what I'm doing isn't totally insane. That said, a first draft is also important for catching things like how many bullets people are shooting. For instance, if someone has a six-shooter, it'd be a bit odd if they fire ten bullets before reloading.

For almost all of the chapters, writing was a two-step process. I would write an initial draft and then I would revise it once before posting it. However, there were two chapters that proved particularly horrible to write, in that they required a great many more revisions than the others before I was satisfied with how they turned out. These two chapters were Chapter 2 and Chapter 4. In fact, it took _eight_ revisions before I finally settled on the form of Chapter 2 that ended up getting posted. Part of that can be attributed to my not knowing entirely what I was doing yet (more on that later), but really, I just couldn't quite settle on the best way to go about things. Indeed, I'm still not very happy with Chapter 2, and in my opinion it is easily the worst chapter in the story and the one that sticks out like a sore thumb. Of course, you're free to disagree, but that's what I think. In contrast, although Chapter 4 was also a bit of a slog, I ended up being quite happy with the results.

As an aside, I'd also like to briefly mention chapter length. Although there are many benefits to writing chapters that are all the same length (particularly if you write to a schedule or plan), I tend to fall into the camp that argues that chapters should be as long as they need to be. That is, there is going to be a substantial degree of variance in how long my chapters are because sometimes more things will happen in one chapter than the next. Perhaps the best examples of that are the last three chapters, which are all quite long. However, given how much actually happens in these three chapters, I like to think that's okay. Of course, like a lot of things to do with writing, this will probably vary a lot from person to person.

One thing that I'd also like to address in this extended author's note is the extent to which I plan things. If you've read the extended author's note for Headed West, you probably already suspect what my answer will be. I didn't plan very much, at least not formally. What I tend to do is to imagine the plot in my head and then mentally update it as ideas come to mind. I don't like writing things down because it often feels like I'm caging myself in and blocking out any new, and potentially better, ideas that might pop into my head. Naturally, this means that I have to keep the whole plot floating around in my head and although that allows for extra flexibility, it can also be a little trying. The uncertainty involved is also something that not everyone enjoys, and I'd encourage everyone to just follow the method they feel works best for them. If writing the plot out in detail works for you then do that. If it doesn't, then try something else. Still, for me, having the whole plot floating around like some kind of jellyfish in my mind is what works, so that's what I do.

When I started writing, I really only had one character locked in. I knew that I wanted Lightning to be the sheriff in a small sort of town way out West, and I knew that I wanted her to be awesome. After writing the first chapter to showcase the aforementioned awesomeness, it occurred to me that I really didn't have much of a plan. A mad scramble then ensued to try and get the other characters locked into place too, and the order of the first few chapters largely reflects the order in which I decided who would become what. That is to say, I decided early on that Hope would be a young kid looking for a bit of adventure and wanting very much to grow up faster.

The idea of Fang and Vanille being bandits was not the first idea to come to mind. I had, initially, considered making Fang Lightning's deputy, but I quickly dropped the idea. It felt wrong and having Fang be Lightning's deputy would basically kill off a large part of what I had in mind, namely having Lightning and Fang get to know each other over the course of the story. However, the thought of Fang as a bandit was definitely one I could get behind. Not only did it fit nicely with her personality, but the thought of her and Vanille (especially Vanille) holding up a bank was something I found hilarious. It also meant that any scenes she had with Lightning would have that little bit of extra tension to them, given that they were on opposite sides of the law.

Serah was one of the characters that I had the least trouble settling on in terms of how to translate her into a Western themed story. Her position as a schoolteacher felt completely natural, and her demeanour as a somewhat refined young lady was something that I felt suited her too, as well as being something I could have fun with. Snow was a little harder to place. I had, initially, envisioned him as Lightning's unwanted deputy, but that ended up feeling awkward and I really wanted to show him and Serah meeting for the first time. After a bit of thinking, I decided that he and the rest of NORA were a perfect fit for a bunch of stockmen travelling from place to place looking for work as they saved up the money for a place of their own.

Sazh was the last of the main characters (main Final Fantasy XIII characters, that is) to be introduced, and frankly that was because I didn't really know what to do with him. However, after a bit of thinking, I came to the conclusion that he was just right for the retired gunslinger role, another staple of Western fiction (along with the sheriff and the bandit, which Lightning and Fang represent). The whole history between him and the two bandits (Fang and Vanille) was something I came up on the spot to justify why they would go to him for help instead of someone else. The introduction of Lahna as an original character was also something I thought about a great deal. I'm not always a fan of introducing original characters, but I felt that this version of Sazh needed to have his wife around, and I've never had much trouble imagining Sazh being bossed around by his wife.

The introduction of characters from other Final Fantasy games was not something that I initially planned to do. However, it quickly became apparent that Final Fantasy XIII just didn't have enough characters for the story I wanted to tell, so I was left with two choices: either create entirely new characters, or use characters that the readers were likely to be familiar with. I decided on the latter because original characters tend to aggravate people, and because the latter seemed like it would be a heap of fun. Looking back on it now, choosing to add characters from the other Final Fantasy games was one of the best decisions I ever made, and I can't even imagine how the story would look without them.

On the subject of those other characters, I'd like to take a moment to talk about Quistis and Fujin, who were, by far, the most prominent characters from other Final Fantasy games. I hadn't initially planned on them sticking around for all that long. In fact, I'd only planned to have Quistis drop by as a friend of Lightning's that could explain the situation to her, but as I wrote, they sort of took on a life of their own and made it impossible for me to get rid of them. In retrospect, I'm very glad I chose to keep them, because as much as Lightning and Fang were probably the main characters of this story, Quistis and Fujin turned out to be very important too.

With regards to the overall plot of the story, I'm not afraid to admit that I really didn't know what on earth I was doing until about Chapter 12. That might sound crazy, but when I first started writing, I envisioned this story as being more of a series of snippets, not unlike Ordinary Heroes or Tell Me a Story. Although I'd had inklings of Fang and Vanille's dark past well before Chapter 12, it hadn't occurred to me until then that I really, really needed to start linking their past to their current actions so that I could bring all of the main characters onto the same side, and thus set up the inevitable showdown at the end of the story. Chapter 12 marks the start of that bringing together of all the various characters, and is also where each chapter really starts leading into the next. Prior to Chapter 12, the chapters can almost be read out of order without the reader suffering any real harm.

However, once I'd decided to bring things together, the rest of the plot followed fairly naturally. Given that I'd decided to have Fang and Vanille target Cocoon, it was only natural that Cocoon be the ones responsible for their turn to banditry, and what better way to do that than by having Cocoon wipe out their homeland (it helps that this also mirrors the war between Pulse and Cocoon in the game). With that in place, Barthandelus was a lock for the main villain, and Hojo was a pretty easy pick for his partner in crime. No one really does evil quite like Hojo, and he's got just the right amount of insanity in him to really come up with something crazy.

One other thing I will say about the plot was that I knew, well before I finished, that I wanted the story to have a happy ending. Headed West was a great deal of fun to write, but I couldn't slip a happy ending into that story without killing it. Stetsons and Fal'Cie was my chance to slip in that happy ending and to work in a fair bit of Fang/Lightning too, an issue that I don't really address at all in Headed West.

On the subject of Fang/Lightning, I did decide very early on that this was a pairing I wanted to address in this story. I didn't want to beat people over the head with it, but I did want to write a story in which the two of them grow to care for one another. However, I didn't want the focus of the story to be about just their relationship. Fang and Lightning are awesome as individuals, and I wanted to treat them as individuals, allowing any relationship between them to develop without taking away from that. People aren't just the relationships they have. They are individuals, as well.

The last thing I want to talk about in this (way, way) extended author's note is what the story was about. I can't say for certain what individual readers got out of the story, but I can say what I was thinking about when I was writing it. To me, this story is about setting things right. It's there in the way that Fang and Vanille try to take down Cocoon, and it's there in the way that Lightning becomes a sheriff so that she can clean up Bodhum and give Serah the best life that she can. It's there too, in the way that Sazh takes Fang and Vanille in after they help him out and even save his life, and it's there in the way that Quistis and even Reeve do everything they can to help bring Cocoon down for what it has done. Love is a part of the story too, as is revenge, but what keeps everything going, what binds all of the characters together, and what sets the people like Lightning apart from the people like Barthandelus is that feeling that all good and decent people have. It's the feeling that there are things that are right in the world and things that are wrong, and that sometimes you have to set the wrong things right, even if it's hard, especially when it's hard. This idea of setting things right is something that occurs quite frequently in Westerns, which is perhaps not particularly surprising given that so many protagonists in Westerns have dark and troubled pasts. Of course, Westerns don't have a monopoly on this idea, but there are few genres in which it is so prevalent.

Well, there you have it. Writing Stetsons and Fal'Cie was a heck of a ride, filled with a lot bumps and hairpin turns, but it was definitely worth it in the end. As an aside, I find it quite humorous that the character that killed the most people probably wasn't Fang or Lightning. No, in the end, the character that killed the most people was probably Vanille. That just goes to show that you shouldn't judge someone by their size, especially when they have a proclivity for lobbing explosives everywhere.

Once again, thank you to everyone who read this story. Your support is very much appreciated. Just knowing that people enjoy what I write is enough to bring a smile to my face. Indeed prior to writing Stetsons and Fal'Cie, I spent most of my time just lurking about the Final Fantasy XIII fanfiction section without actually writing anything for the fandom. The warm reception that I received upon beginning this story was definitely a factor in my deciding to contribute to the fandom. As thanks, allow me to present the following teaser. It's another alternative universe, but instead of a Western, I've decided to head in a somewhat different direction.

X X X

Sazh eased the four-wheel drive to a stop in front of the supermarket. Cities were out of the question, and even the big towns weren't safe, but an out of the way place like this might still be okay. He left the engine running and took a good look at the area around the vehicle. There were a few abandoned cars in the parking lot, along with a few more on the road, but other than that, there didn't seem to be anyone, or anything else around.

However, there were buildings all along the street, and even if nothing had come as he'd driven past, that didn't mean they were empty. The Infected didn't always come out right away, but it wasn't like he could stay in the car either. He and Dajh had been running pretty low on supplies for almost a week now, so even if it was a bit risky, they didn't have much choice. They could stop and try to scrounge up some supplies, or they could keep going and probably starve in a few days. If it was just himself, he probably would have kept on driving, but he wasn't about to let Dajh go hungry. The whole world might have gone to hell, but one way or another he'd put food on the table for his son.

Satisfied that the area was clear, at least for the time being, he shut off the engine and pocketed the keys. As he got out of the car, he patted himself down to make sure he had everything. There was the shotgun with a flashlight taped onto the barrel, a pistol for the holster at his hip, and a knife. Anything more would slow him down, but anything less might not be enough to keep him and Dajh safe. Taking another look at his surroundings, he nodded to himself and then went around the other side of the vehicle to open the door for Dajh.

Dajh hopped out of the car, a flashlight of his own clutched in his hands. He had a lighter in his jacket too, along with a few boxes of matches. "Are we going to go shopping, daddy?"

Sazh nodded, eyes never leaving the area around them. "That's right, son, but we need to be quick. I'm not sure this place is very safe."

Dajh looked around quickly, taking in all of their surroundings, just like Sazh had taught him. "Okay."

"Now, before we go in there, Dajh, I want you to tell me the rules, okay?" Sazh reached into the pockets of his jacket. Good, he had a spare pair of batteries in there in case the ones in his flashlight went flat.

Dajh checked his own pockets just to make sure that he had everything. Checking things was important, but the rules were the most important of all. The rules were the only reason that he and daddy were still alive. He'd seen other people not following the rules and the Infected had gotten all of them. That was why it was just the two of them now. They hadn't seen anyone else for almost a month now. "There are three rules," Dajh said, the words so familiar to him now that he barely even needed to think about them. "Rule #1 is to always stay close to you daddy. Rule #2 is to always keep my eyes and ears on everything around me. And Rule #3 is to always listen to what you say, daddy."

"Good." Sazh reached down with one hand to ruffle Dajh's hair. "That's right, son. You follow those rules and we should be just fine. Who knows, we might even find some chocolate in there." Sazh smiled at the grin on Dajh's face. It was nice to now that even with things so bad, the thought of candy could bring a smile to his son's face.

The two of them made their way over to the front of the supermarket. As usual, Sazh kept on an eye out for things in front of them, and Dajh kept an eye out for things behind them. To make sure they weren't separated, Dajh kept a firm hold on the edge of Sazh's jacket.

They stopped at the automatic doors that led into the supermarket. There wasn't any power, probably hadn't been for months, so the doors were stuck almost shut. Sazh took a quick look inside, hating the fact that the glass made it difficult to see past the doors, before he wedged his fingers into the small gap between the doors and pulled. The doors came open fairly easily, and he pulled until the gap was wide enough for both of them to fit through without any trouble.

Inside, the front of the supermarket was reasonably well lit. It was just going on midday, so there was plenty of sunshine coming in through the windows and the doors. Further back though, past the messy lines of trolleys and the checkout counters, the supermarket was dark, the lights on the ceiling dead after who knew how long without power. Sazh had learned the hard way that even if sticking to the light wasn't a guarantee for safety, heading into the darkness was just asking for trouble.

There was an empty can of tomatoes at his feet right next to a long streak of dried blood, and he reached down to pick it up. If there were any Infected in here, the best place to fight them would be right here at the front of the supermarket where he and Dajh could see them coming, and if necessary, run for it. Taking a deep breath, he drew his arm back and tossed the can of tomatoes at the ground.

The can hit the ground with a loud clang and then rolled noisily along the floor until it hit one of the checkout counters. Shotgun up and ready, he waited for a few moments as his eyes and ears strained to catch any sign of movement. Finally, when a minute or so had passed without a sight or sound of anything, he lowered his shotgun.

"Okay, Dajh, let's go get what we can," Sazh said as he went over to grab one of the trolleys scattered around. It was a bit dented, but it stilled rolled well enough to use. "Remember the rules, Dajh. Now, turn your flashlight on, you're going to need it."

They headed deeper into the supermarket, and as they went, Sazh was careful to keep track of what was in each aisle. The quicker they were, the better it would be. As they neared the frozen produce section, he winced. Without power, all the frozen meat had gone off, and the smell of it was almost unbearable.

As they made their way over to the canned goods section, he made sure to keep his shotgun moving from side to side so that the flashlight on it covered everything in front of them. There were bloodstains on the floor and the walls, and even on the shelves. The Infected must have come through here already, and with any luck they'd already moved on.

Finally, they got to the canned goods section, and Sazh breathed a sigh of relief. The shelves were far from full, but there was more than enough there for the two of them. "All right, Dajh, start filling the trolley."

As Dajh started putting cans into the trolley, Sazh thought back to when things had first gone wrong. Back then, both of them had worked to fill the trolley, but that had turned out to be a mistake. The cans made a lot of noise, which in turn made it hard to hear the Infected until they were right on top of them. That mistake had almost gotten both of them killed, and after that, Sazh had decided that since he was the only one who could use a gun, Dajh would have to fill the trolley on his own. It was slower, and he hated to see his son straining to lift some of the bigger cans, but it was the safest way to do things.

For his part, Dajh just grabbed whatever he could find and tossed it into the trolley. The boy had learned pretty quickly, that he couldn't afford to be picky anymore. If he were, then he might not eat. Besides, canned beef stew wasn't all that bad, especially if they could heat it up and have it with something like rice.

Suddenly, there was a noise from the end of the aisle as something knocked some cans to the ground. Sazh had the shotgun pointed there in a heartbeat and he felt his pulse race until he realised what he was looking at. It was just a cat, most likely trying to scavenge for food, just like them. The cat hissed for a moment as the light played over it, and then vanished. Still, the cat was a good sign. Animals didn't like the infected too much, so if the cat was around, there probably weren't too many Infected nearby. Of course, the cat could also have run because it sensed the Infected coming.

"You done, son?" Sazh asked quietly.

Dajh nodded. "Yes."

Sazh put one hand on the trolley to push it. "Good, then let's get going."

They went from aisle to aisle, moving as quickly as they could in the darkness with only their flashlights to show the way. Most of the aisles were bare. When the Infected had first started appearing, people had panicked and grabbed whatever they could find. Still, things must have happened pretty quickly here, because there were still a few bags of rice left, along with some camping supplies like matches, and fuel for the portable stove that Sazh had managed to scavenge from a wrecked motor home a few weeks back. However, they really hit the jackpot when they found several cases of bottled water. It would be heavy – and the trolley was already close to full – but with good, clean water so hard to come by, it would be worth the extra effort.

Their second last stop was in the candy section of the supermarket and for a moment, Sazh felt his heart sink. As he ran his flashlight over the shelves, there didn't seem to be anything left, which was a pity. Chocolate didn't just taste good. It had a lot of calories, and it stayed good for a long, long time.

"Sorry, son, it doesn't look like there's any left," Sazh said.

Dajh let out a disappointed sigh as he ran his flashlight over the shelves too. And then he smiled. There, almost hidden under all the empty boxes, were several bars of chocolate. "Look, daddy!" he cried.

"Well, look at that," Sazh said. "Let's go get it then."

After putting the chocolate bars into the trolley they headed back to the front of the supermarket. This was the only supermarket for miles, so Sazh was pretty sure that it would have sold firearms and ammunition. The only question was: would there be any left? The weapons counter was up near the front, and Sazh could only purse his lips at how little there was left. Other than maybe a dozen shotgun shells, the counter was empty. Still, every bit helped, and with the Infected wandering around, ammunition was worth its weight in gold. The counter was locked, so he used the stock of the shotgun to break the cabinet glass.

"Looks like we're done," Sazh said. "Let's get out of here."

They were almost to the front doors when Sazh heard it. It was the telltale scrape of feet moving across the linoleum supermarket floor, feet that didn't belong to him or Dajh. He spun, pushing Dajh behind him as he brought his shotgun up and levelled it at where he thought the noise was coming from.

The light from his flashlight played across the empty aisle as he moved it back and forth. He'd heard a sound, he was sure of it. Breathing beginning to speed up a little, he eased the trolley back toward the door, keeping himself between the rest of the supermarket and Dajh. A can rolled noisily across the ground and he pointed the gun in the direction it had come from. There, half-hidden in the shadows that draped much of the supermarket was one of the Infected.

The Infected was a woman, or at least, it had been once. The rags of a shirt were tangled around its upper body, and its pants were worn and ripped. On its feet, there was only one shoe, and the flesh that showed through all the mangled garments was a sickly, pasty white. It must have been hiding somewhere in the back of the store, maybe in one of the storerooms. That would explain why it had only just come out now after he'd broken the cabinet.

For a long moment, the Infected just sort of crouched there its eyes twin pools of black bitumen without any hint of reason in them, only hunger. Then it lurched to its feet and charged straight at them with a keening wail. Sazh fired and the Infected jerked backward, spinning as the shotgun blew one of its arms clean off, and ripped away a good portion of its chest. But that wasn't enough to kill it, and it rushed forward again, the fingers on its remaining hand formed into claws as it bared its teeth and howled. Sazh waited a second to steady his aim and then pulled the trigger again. The shotgun roared and the Infected toppled to the ground, its head gone.

"We need to get moving," Sazh said as he pushed the trolley out the doors. "If there's more of them around, they'll be coming here." Loud sounds had a way of drawing the Infected, and the shotgun for all its merits, was very loud indeed.

They got back to their four-wheel drive and rather than try and store the things they'd taken in an orderly fashion, Sazh simply got the boot open and started throwing them in. They could get them organised later, but right now they needed to get moving as soon as possible.

"Dajh," Sazh said as he handed the boy the keys. "Get it started."

Dajh nodded and hurried to the front of the four-wheel drive to get it started. He was too small to drive, but Sazh had taught him how to start the vehicle. And it was a good thing too. The trolley was still half full, but already several loud shrieks had split the air. A dozen Infected ran down the street, drawn by the sound of the gunshots, but now whipped into a frenzy by the sight and smell of fresh prey.

"They're coming, daddy!" Dajh screamed from inside the four-wheel drive. "Hurry!"

Sazh tossed the last of their supplies into the boot and then lifted his shotgun. He fired twice. The two closest Infected went down, not dead, but out of the way for the time being. Then he ran for the front of the car and threw himself into the driver's seat. The tyres squealed as he slammed his foot on the accelerator.

The Infected gave chase, one of them lunging at the back of the vehicle, only to miss as the four-wheel drive finally began to put on some speed and pulled away.

"Good work, son," Sazh murmured as he steered the four-wheel drive around the burnt out remains of an SUV. "Good work."

X X X

**Author's Notes**

As always, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off this.

Well, what can I say? Everybody loves a good zombie apocalypse. That kind of scenario also gives me a chance to see how everyone's favourite characters cope under extreme circumstances. I've also been meaning to write something with a bit more Sazh and Dajh in it, so, here you go.

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


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